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The rules for selling directly from your farm to a consumer depend entirely on what you are selling. Arkansas has four separate legal frameworks, and what applies to one product does not apply to another. IAC organizes and links the sources. Arkansas law sets the rules.
Arkansas Food Freedom Act: What You Can Sell Without a Permit
University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension · Food Freedom Act (ACA § 20-57-501 et seq.):
Arkansas's Food Freedom Act (Act 1040 of 2021) allows producers to sell non-perishable, shelf-stable homemade foods directly to an informed end consumer anywhere in Arkansas with no permit, no sales cap, and no inspection required, as long as the required disclosure label appears on every product. Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, and wild game are explicitly excluded and fall under separate rules.
Selling at Arkansas Farmers Markets: ADH Permit Categories
Arkansas Department of Health · Farmers Market Vendor Guide (Updated July 2025):
What you can sell at a farmers market without a permit, what requires an ADH permit, and what falls under separate Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission rules are all different categories. The ADH Farmers Market Vendor Guide is the single document that governs all three and must be reviewed before your first market day.
Raw Milk and Raw Milk Products: Arkansas Act 698 of 2025
University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension · ACA § 20-59-248 as amended (Act 698 of 2025):
Arkansas producers may now sell raw cow, goat, or sheep milk and raw milk products including butter, cheese, kefir, and yogurt on the farm, at farmers markets, through direct delivery, and at natural food stores, without a license. Sales off the farm require a signed consumer acknowledgment of risk and a specific warning label on every product. No interstate sales are permitted under this law.
USDA Local Food Directories: Find and List Direct Markets
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service · National Farmers Market Directory:
The USDA AMS Local Food Directories include the National Farmers Market Directory, a searchable database of farmers markets across the country where producers can find listed markets, verify registration status, and connect with buyers looking for direct-farm sources.
Selling Across State Lines: Laws Differ in Every Neighboring State
National Agricultural Law Center · University of Arkansas · State Direct Marketing Guides:
Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Mississippi each have their own direct sales frameworks with different product allowances, sales caps, permit requirements, and venue rules. Before selling into any neighboring state, verify that state's current rules. The National Agricultural Law Center, housed at the University of Arkansas, maintains state-specific direct marketing legal guides as a starting point.
Register Your Direct Market: Get Listed in the USDA Directory
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service · Local Food Directory Registration:
Producers selling direct through a farmers market, CSA, food hub, or on-farm market can register their operation in the USDA AMS Local Food Directories, making their farm visible to buyers and consumers searching for local sources in their state and region.
State-by-State Laws: How Every Neighboring State Compares
Institute for Justice · National Food Freedom Initiative:
The Institute for Justice tracks cottage food and food freedom laws in all 50 states, including detailed state-by-state pages for Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Mississippi, covering what products are allowed, where they can be sold, sales caps, labeling requirements, and venue restrictions, updated as laws change.
