Farmers' Markets 

A  food license is not required to sell whole raw fruits and vegetables. If an operator is going to be processing or cooking any food items, then a  license would be needed. City of Milwaukee Food License Applications are processed by the License Division of the City Clerk's office. 

Information on the Sale of Food at Farmers' Markets

• Eggs, meats, poultry products and other potentially hazardous foods, need to be maintained at 41° F or less at all times. More information on the sale of meat, poultry and eggs is available from the State of Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) publication:  Local Food Marketing Guide .

• Honey sales may require additional licensing. Check with The DATCP

• Maple syrup processing is subject to requirements and may require additional licensing. Visit The DATCP for information.

• Juice processing requires licensing. Apple cider may be exempt from licesing. See The DATCP factsheet: Requirements for Juice at Retail .

• Limited sales of home-canned foods is allowed under a Wisconsin law – sometimes called the “pickle bill” – The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection has more information about home-canned foods.

• Home baked non potentially hazadous baked goods may be sold without a license. See The DATCP webage for more information. 

• Proper labeling is required for all packaged foods (e.g. salsa, soup, bakery) - See the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture information on labeling.

• If you use a scale for weighing your produce, the scale must be checked for accuracy and licensed with aWeighing and Measuring Device License prior to use. If you decide to sell produce by a method other than weight please refer to the information pages below:
  • Method of sale for retail sales of produce  
  • Sale of Commodities by Count 

Both the Food License and the original Weighing and Measuring Device License must be displayed at your stand at all times that you are selling.

Area Farmers' Markets

A listing of area farmers' markets can be found in The Farm Fresh Atlas of Southeast Wisconsin.