Privacy policy

What we collect

If you just browse

You do not need an account to use the directory. When you visit, we collect:

• Visit statistics. We run our own copy of Umami, a privacy-focused analytics tool. It records the pages you view, the site that sent you, your browser, device type and country. It does not use cookies, does not follow you to other sites, and the data is not shared with advertisers.
• Server and security logs. Like any website, our servers record your IP address, browser and the pages requested. We use this to keep the site running and to stop abuse: we limit how fast a single address can make requests, and we temporarily block addresses that probe for known security holes.

If you create an account

• Account details. Your email address, your name if you give it, the display name shown on your reviews, and your password, which we store only as a one-way hash.
• Sign-in records. The date and IP address of your most recent sign-ins and how many times you have signed in, to spot unauthorized access.
• Google or Facebook sign-in. If you sign in with Google or Facebook, that service gives us your name and email address. We do not receive your password, contacts, friends list or posts.
• What you add. Reviews, the farms you save, messages you send us, and, if you manage a farm, its listing details, hours, products, photos, offers and events.
• Votes in MA Farmers Picks. Which listing you voted for in each category. To detect ballot stuffing we also keep a scrambled, one-way code derived from your IP address; we do not store the address itself.

If you subscribe or pay

• Newsletter. Your email address, the date you signed up, and which page you signed up from.
• Payments. Featured and Premium listings are paid through Stripe. Your card details go directly to Stripe; we never see or store them. We keep a record of the plan, amount and dates.

Information about farms

Listings are business information. We build them from public sources: state agriculture department listings, state agricultural records, public directories, and farms’ own websites and public pages. We check farms’ websites from time to time for changed hours, products and contact details, and review changes before they appear. A farm can claim its listing to edit it directly, or ask us to correct or remove it.

How we use it

• To run the directory, your account, and any listings you manage.
• To show listings, reviews, photos and vote results. Your reviews appear with your display name.
• To send email you need, such as password resets and listing approvals, and our newsletter if you signed up for it.
• To review new listings, reviews, photos and events before they appear.
• To keep the site secure and votes fair, and to prevent spam, abuse and scraping.
• To understand, in aggregate, which pages people use so we can improve them.

Who we share it with

We do not sell or rent personal information, and we do not share it for advertising. We use a few service providers to run the site, and they receive only what they need:

• Vultr hosts our servers and database.
• Stripe processes payments.
• SendGrid delivers our email.
• Backblaze stores uploaded photos.
• Google and Facebook, only if you choose to sign in with them.

We may disclose information if the law requires it, or to protect the site and its users from fraud or abuse.

Cookies

We use only the cookies the site needs to work: a session cookie that keeps you signed in, a “remember me” cookie if you tick that box, and a security token that protects forms from forgery. We do not use advertising or analytics cookies. If you block cookies, browsing still works but signing in does not.

Keeping and deleting your data

We keep your account information while your account is open. You can change your display name on your dashboard, unsubscribe from the newsletter from any newsletter email, and ask us to delete your account and personal data at any time; see our data deletion instructions. We complete deletion requests within 30 days. Server and security logs are kept only as long as we need them for security and troubleshooting.

If you signed in with Google or Facebook, you can also disconnect MA Farmers from your account settings on that service.

Children

MA Farmers is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has given us information, contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top of this page. For significant changes, we will also notify account holders by email.

Contact

Questions about this policy or your data? Email support@mafarmers.com or write to MA Farmers, 122 Main Street Suite 303, New Britain, CT 06051.