Homebased microprocessors are farmers who grow and harvest produce to use in their value-added products.  Homebased microprocessors are required to grow a predominant ingredient in the products they make.  Homebased microprocessors are allowed to make higher risk products such as canned tomatoes, pickled fruits and vegetables, salsa, barbecue sauce, pepper or herb jellies, vinegars, low or no sugar jams and jellies, and pressure canned vegetables.   The first step to becoming certified as a homebased microprocessor is to attend a Homebased Microprocessor (HBM) workshop presented by the University of Kentucky.  The cost of the workshop is $50.00.  Next, recipes for all products to be sold under the program must be submitted to the University of Kentucky for approval, at a fee of $5.00 per recipe.  Proof of workshop completion, approved recipes, draft labels for all products, and verification of an approved water source are then attached to the application for HBM certification and sent to the Department for Public Health Food Safety Branch.  There is a $50.00 fee for this certification each year. 

Homebased microprocessors cannot have a gross annual income over 60,000 (sixty thousand dollars) from the sale of their products.  Homebased microprocessed products can only be sold from three locations within Kentucky: the processor’s farm, a Kentucky Registered farmer’s market, or a certified roadside stand.