Privacy & Cookie Policy

ADFC Consulting Ltd is the data controller for personal data processed through this platform. We are registered in England and Wales.

If you have any questions, concerns or requests regarding how we handle your personal data, please contact us via our contact page.

You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection (ico.org.uk, 0303 123 1113). We would, however, appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns before you contact the ICO.

For all visitors:

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type, device type and operating system
• Pages visited, time spent and referring URLs (via analytics cookies)

For Farmers (registered accounts and public profiles):

• Email address (account registration)
• Farm name, about section and years of experience
• Postcode, geographic coordinates and areas covered
• Mobile / contact phone number and public contact email address
• Profile photo and gallery images
• Services offered, machinery, qualifications and insurance information
• Availability settings and subscription status
• Account activity logs and dashboard usage data

For Customers submitting enquiries:

• Full name and email address
• Phone number (if provided)
• Postcode and service required
• Message content
• Date, time and IP address of submission
• Record of agreement to these policies

For review submitters:

• Name and, where provided, email address
• Review text, ratings and service used

We process your personal data on the following lawful bases under UK GDPR Article 6:

• Contract (Art. 6(1)(b)): Processing necessary to provide the FarmerFinder service, including managing your account, displaying your profile, forwarding enquiries and processing subscription payments.
• Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)): To operate, secure and improve our platform; to prevent fraud and abuse; to facilitate introductions between Customers and Farmers; and to send transactional service communications. We have carried out a balancing test and are satisfied that our legitimate interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
• Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)): Where we are required to process or retain data to comply with applicable law, including financial and tax record-keeping obligations.
• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): For non-essential analytics cookies and any optional marketing communications. You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

• To create and manage your account and profile;
• To display Farmer profiles publicly on the platform so Customers can find and contact Farmers;
• To forward Customer enquiries (including contact details and message) to the relevant Farmer;
• To send transactional emails (e.g. enquiry notifications, account verification, password reset, subscription alerts);
• To send marketing and service-update emails to users who have consented, including notifying you when trusted local Farmers become available in your area and updates about new services and coverage areas;
• To process and manage subscription payments;
• To display and manage customer reviews and ratings;
• To detect, investigate and prevent fraudulent, abusive or unlawful activity;
• To comply with our legal obligations;
• To analyse platform usage and improve our services (using aggregated or anonymised data where possible);
• To record consent to our terms and policies for compliance purposes.

Marketing and service-update emails are sent on the basis of your consent (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(a) and the soft opt-in provisions of PECR where applicable). Consent is captured at the point you register your interest or submit an enquiry, along with the date and time of agreement. You may withdraw your consent and unsubscribe from these emails at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email we send, or by contacting us via our contact page. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

We do not sell your personal data to any third party. We may share your data only in the following limited circumstances:

• Publicly displayed information: Farmer profiles (including farm name, location, services, the contact details you choose to make public, and reviews) are visible to all visitors. You control which contact details appear in your public profile.
• Enquiry forwarding: When a Customer submits an enquiry, their name, email address, phone number (if provided) and message content are shared with the relevant Farmer via email.
• Service providers: We use trusted third-party processors (including hosting, email delivery and payment processing providers) who process data on our behalf under appropriate data processing agreements and are contractually bound to process data only on our instructions.
• ADFC Consulting Ltd group: Data may be shared within our group of companies for internal administrative purposes, subject to the same protections as set out in this policy.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose data where required by law, court order, regulatory authority, or to protect the rights, property or safety of ADFC Consulting Ltd, our users or others.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition or sale of all or part of our business, personal data may be transferred to the acquiring entity, subject to the same protections.

Where any of our service providers transfer personal data outside the UK or European Economic Area, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK GDPR, such as the use of the International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA), standard contractual clauses, or reliance on adequacy decisions. We will not transfer your data to a country without an adequate level of protection without appropriate safeguards and, where required, your explicit consent.

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, and in accordance with our legal obligations:

• Farmer account data: Retained while your account is active and for up to 2 years after account closure, unless you request earlier deletion.
• Customer enquiry data: Retained for up to 3 years from submission for record-keeping and dispute resolution purposes.
• Financial and subscription records: Retained for 7 years in accordance with UK tax and accounting law (Companies Act 2006 and HMRC requirements).
• Reviews: Retained for as long as the reviewed Farmer's profile is active, or until removed at our discretion.
• Consent records: Retained for a minimum of 6 years to demonstrate compliance with UK GDPR.
• Analytics data: Retained in aggregated or anonymised form indefinitely; identifiable analytics data is retained for up to 26 months.

On expiry of the applicable retention period, data is securely deleted or anonymised.

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies on our platform. A cookie is a small text file stored on your device. The following types are used:

8.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for the platform to function and cannot be switched off. They include session authentication tokens and security cookies. They do not require your consent under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR).

8.2 Functional Cookies

These cookies remember your preferences and settings (e.g. whether you have previously registered as a customer) to improve your experience. They are stored in your browser's localStorage in addition to, or instead of, traditional cookies.

8.3 Analytics Cookies

We may use analytics cookies (such as Google Analytics or similar tools) to understand how visitors use our platform, which pages are visited most, and how users navigate the site. This data is used in aggregated, anonymised form to improve the platform. These cookies require your consent. Where consent is required, we will present you with a cookie banner or preference centre before setting such cookies.

8.4 Managing Cookies

You can control and delete cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse all cookies, accept cookies from specific sites, or delete cookies already stored. Please note that disabling strictly necessary cookies may impair the functionality of the platform. For further information about managing cookies, visit aboutcookies.org or ico.org.uk.

8.5 LocalStorage

We use browser localStorage to temporarily store your registration details (name and email) so you do not need to re-enter them within a single browsing session when submitting enquiries. This data remains on your device and is not transmitted to our servers beyond the initial registration. You can clear this data at any time by clearing your browser's site data or localStorage.

You have the following rights regarding your personal data. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us via our contact page. We will respond within one calendar month. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

• Right of access (Subject Access Request): You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you, free of charge.
• Right to rectification: You may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data without undue delay.
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten"): You may request deletion of your personal data where there is no longer a lawful reason for us to process it, subject to our legal retention obligations.
• Right to restriction of processing: You may ask us to restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances (e.g. while accuracy is contested).
• Right to data portability: You may request your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format where processing is based on consent or contract.
• Right to object: You may object to processing based on our legitimate interests. We will cease unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests, rights and freedoms.
• Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
• Rights relating to automated decision-making and profiling: We do not make solely automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on you.

ADFC Consulting Ltd implements appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, alteration or disclosure. These measures include encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS), access controls, and use of reputable cloud infrastructure providers.

However, no method of data transmission or storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security and you transmit data to us at your own risk.

In the event of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the ICO within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach, and will inform affected individuals without undue delay where required by UK GDPR.

FarmerFinder is not directed at or intended for use by children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has submitted personal data to us, please contact us immediately and we will take steps to delete it promptly.

Our platform may contain links to third-party websites. This Privacy & Cookie Policy applies only to our platform. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of any third-party sites and we encourage you to read their privacy policies before submitting any personal data to them.

ADFC Consulting Ltd may update this Privacy & Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, technology or our practices. Where changes are material, we will notify you by email or by a prominent notice on the platform. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of the platform after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

If you have any questions, concerns or requests relating to this Privacy & Cookie Policy or the way ADFC Consulting Ltd processes your personal data, please contact us via our contact page.

If you remain dissatisfied after contacting us, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office:

• Website: ico.org.uk
• Helpline: 0303 123 1113