Indiana is home to thousands of Hoosiers who make their living by selling homegrown, homemade and locally produced goods.

Home-based vendors make everything from baked goods to honey, jams and jellies. Right now, they can only sell their products at farmers markets and roadside stands, which limits their customer base and timeframe. To help them expand and succeed, I am authoring legislation this session so home-based vendors can sell their goods in person, remotely or through a third party.

House Bill 1103 would open more avenues for home-based vendors to sell their products directly, online or through a third-party vendor like a delivery service, retail shop or grocery store. Vendors would be able to sell shelf-stable, non-hazardous goods and items such as baked goods, whole and uncut fruits and vegetables, tree nuts and legumes, and syrups.

The Indiana Department of Health, the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, industry groups and food safety experts would also provide lawmakers with recommendations for expanding what home-based vendors could sell through these new avenues.

These changes will provide home-based vendors across the state more opportunities to connect with consumers, who are also demanding more locally sourced and produced goods. This is also a great opportunity to keep our hard-earned, Hoosier dollars in our communities.

House Bill 1103 recently passed out of the House of Representatives and is now on its way to the Senate for further consideration. As the demand for locally made products continues to increase, this is a common-sense bill benefiting Hoosier producers and consumers across the state. Small businesses, such as our home-based vendors, are critical to our state’s and local communities’ economic health.

To connect with more Hoosier vendors and small businesses, visit indianagrown.org or marketwagon.com.

State Rep. Steve Davisson, R-Salem, represents House District 73, which includes the western part of Brownstown Township and all of Carr, Driftwood and Grassy Fork townships in Jackson County, all of Washington County and portions of Orange, Lawrence, Clark and Harrison counties. Send comments to [email protected].