A growing movement of cooks and advocates is working to legalize Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKOs) so that home cooks—many of whom are immigrants and members of minority communities—can legally and safely cook and sell meals to their neighbors.

 

California passed the Homemade Food Operations Act (AB-626) in 2018. The Act allows counties to legalize and regulate the estimated 100,000 unlicensed home cooking businesses found across the state. Counties that opt in can license home cooks and inspect their businesses for health and safety.

As of October 2020, eight counties or cities have expressed intent to opt in to the Homemade Food Operations Act, and Riverside County has started issuing licenses (to a total of 65 home cooks so far).

Home Cooked 2020 Convening

In October 2020 more than a hundred cooks, chefs, advocates, county officials and staff and supporters of home cooking businesses virtually gathered for the Home Cooked 2020 convening to discuss challenges, successes and strategies for licensing home cooks to legally and safely cook and sell meals to their neighbors.

The convening was organized by the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program (UC SAREP) in partnership with the COOK Alliance, a non-profit organization with a national membership of nearly 5,000 cooks and advocates working for legalization of MEHKOs.

Recordings of the four panels from the convening can be watched below.

 

Panel 1: Advocates

This panel featured California- and Washington-based advocates for MEHKOs.

Panelists: Lee Thomas, Alameda County, former San Leandro City Council member  |  Ciara Segura, Mandela Partners, Alameda County  |  Will von Geldern, Ventures, Washington State

 

 

Panel 2: Home Cooks

This panel featured California-based home cooks, some of whom operate MEHKOs: Micro-Enterprise Home Kitchen Operations.

Panelists: Thao Nguyen, Chef, San Bernardino County  |  Denise Blackmon, Proprietor: Soul Goodness, Riverside County  |  Bilal Ali, Brokeass Cooks, Alameda County

 

 

Panel 3: County officials and staff

This panel featured county officials and staff discussing the state of MEHKOs in their counties.

Panelists: Isaac O’Leary, Foodnome, Riverside County  |  Bruno Sabatier, County Supervisor, Lake County  |  Eddie “EJ” Crandell, County Supervisor, Lake County  |  Scott Vanhorne, Director of Communications Second District Supervisor, San Bernardino County

 

 

Panel 4: Support providers

This panel featured MEHKO support providers.

Panelists: Isaac O’Leary, Foodnome  |  Eli Silverman, MiniMart  |  Tim Murrill, Director, Solano County SBDC  |  Mariela Cedeño, Mandela Partners, Alameda County