1. Scope
This policy applies to bluedotfarms.org, its directory, verification applications, farmer portal, login emails, and related communications. It does not govern third-party websites linked from the directory.
2. Information we collect
Information you provide
We may collect farm and business names, contact names, email addresses, websites, locations, products, practices, purchasing information, public values statements, authorization confirmations, corrections, correspondence, and other information included in a submission or farmer profile.
Account and security information
For farmer accounts, we store the authorized email-to-listing relationship, single-use login-token records, session records, login timestamps, and profile changes. Login tokens and session identifiers are stored in hashed form. We do not create or store farmer passwords.
Information collected automatically
Our hosting and security providers may process IP addresses, browser and device information, requested pages, timestamps, referring pages, diagnostic logs, and security events. We use an essential session cookie to keep an authorized farmer signed in.
Community contributions
Community members may suggest farms and provide relevant public business information and source links. A suggestion does not mean the contributor represents the farm. Community-contributed listings may be published after public-source review without a farm application or prior endorsement. Farms can request removal at any time using the process below.
Public sources
We may review publicly available farm websites, business-controlled social-media accounts, directories, and other public sources when evaluating or maintaining a listing.
3. How we use information
We use information to receive and review applications; create, verify, maintain, and correct listings; authenticate farmers; send requested login links and service communications; operate badges; respond to questions and disputes; prevent fraud and misuse; secure and troubleshoot the service; enforce our standards and terms; comply with law; and improve the directory.
4. What becomes public
Approved listings may publicly display the farm name, location, website, products, practices, purchasing information, farm story, public values statement, verification status, review date, and related business information. Contact names, private email addresses, login records, moderation notes, and internal review materials are not intended for public display unless you separately choose to publish them or disclosure is required by law.
Do not submit sensitive personal information that is unnecessary for a listing. A voluntary public values statement may communicate political or philosophical views and will be public if included in an approved profile. The statement is attributed to the farm; directory inclusion and verification do not establish political leaning in either direction or the beliefs of any associated individual.
5. How we share information
We may share information with vendors that provide hosting, databases, security, and transactional email; professional advisers; when required by law; to protect rights, safety, and service integrity; or as part of a transfer of the service. Vendors may process information only for services they provide to us.
We currently use OpenAI Sites and Cloudflare infrastructure for hosting and data services, and Resend to send farmer login emails. Their applicable privacy commitments govern their processing. We do not sell personal information for money or use private application contact information for third-party behavioral advertising.
6. Cookies and visitor counting
The farmer portal uses a strictly necessary, secure, HTTP-only session cookie so an authenticated farmer can remain signed in. It is not available to browser scripts and normally expires after 30 days or when the farmer signs out. Hosting and security providers may use additional essential technologies to deliver and protect the service.
Our visitor counter
The counter uses a random first-party cookie to recognize a returning browser. The cookie is secure and HTTP-only and is renewed for up to one year when the browser returns. Our counter stores a hash of the random identifier, its first-counted date, and, when available, the referring website’s domain on that first counted visit; it does not store IP addresses, page-by-page browsing histories, or link the identifier to farmer or administrator accounts.
Referral-source collection was added on September 17, 2026. We save only the referring domain, such as bsky.app; we discard its page path, query string, and fragment before sending it to our counter. If a browser supplies no source, it is labeled direct or unknown. Existing records without source data remain unknown, and returning visits do not replace the original source. Source reports are available only to signed-in administrators. The same cookie, privacy-preference, and automated-traffic exclusions apply to referral collection.
“Unique visitors” means recognized browsers, not an exact count of people. Repeat visits with the same cookie do not add another visitor. A different browser or device, a cleared or expired cookie, or visiting a different site domain can count the same person again. Browsers that block cookies and requests with Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control enabled are excluded. We filter recognizable automated traffic, but cannot guarantee that all bots are excluded.
The counter’s displayed start date is August 15, 2026, as specified by the site owner. On September 16, 2026, the displayed total was reconciled to 8,353 unique visitors reported in Blue Dot Farms’ Sites analytics. The 1,111 browser records already collected by this counter at that checkpoint are not added again; only new browser records collected afterward increase the displayed total. The displayed number is not a live feed of the Sites analytics dashboard, and the two systems may define or recognize visitors differently. You can block or delete the visitor cookie through your browser settings or enable Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control to prevent future counting.
7. Retention
We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary to operate the directory, maintain verification and correction records, secure accounts, resolve disputes, comply with law, and enforce agreements. Expired login tokens and sessions may remain temporarily in security records or backups before deletion. Visitor identifier hashes, first-counted dates, and first-referral domains are retained to maintain and deduplicate the counter, without linking them to account records.
8. Security
We use reasonable safeguards, including restricted administrative access, single-use login links, hashed token and session records, secure cookies, and access controls. No system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee that unauthorized access or disclosure will never occur.
9. Your choices and requests
Every email sent by this site includes an unsubscribe link. Unsubscribing stops optional emails, including invitations and notifications. We retain your email preference to honor your choice. Sign-in links that you specifically request will still be sent. Unsubscribing does not remove your farm listing or account.
We take data privacy seriously. Farms can opt out at any time, and we will remove any listing from our public directory when contacted with a removal request at contact@bluedotfarms.org. Include the farm name and profile link if available. No account, fee, political explanation, or proof of a legal violation is required. Our team handles requests and will act promptly after identifying the listing; emailing does not remove it automatically.
You may also request access to, correction of, or deletion of personal information, or withdraw badge permission. We may need proportionate identity or authority verification before disclosing private data or transferring account control; this is separate from a public listing removal request. Limited nonpublic records may be retained when reasonably needed to honor an opt-out, meet legal obligations, maintain security, or resolve disputes. Removal from our directory does not delete independent third-party copies or search-engine caches. See our Terms of Service for the removal process.
10. Children
The service is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Contact us if you believe a child provided personal information.
11. United States processing
Blue Dot Farms operates in the United States. Information may be processed and stored in the United States and other locations where our service providers operate, subject to applicable safeguards.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the service or law changes. We will post the revised policy and update its effective date. Material changes may also be communicated through the site or by email when appropriate.
13. Contact
For privacy questions or requests, email contact@bluedotfarms.org. Use of the service is also governed by our Terms of Service.