Privacy Policy

Last updated: 13 October 2026

1. About This Policy

Pickering Family Farm ("we", "us", "our") operates the online farm shop at https://pickeringfamily.farm. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you use our website and services.

By using our website, creating an account, or placing an order, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

When you register for an account, we collect:

  • First name and surname — to identify you and personalise your experience
  • Email address — for account verification, order confirmations, and communication
  • Mobile phone number — for account verification via SMS and order-related contact
  • Suburb — to confirm you are within our delivery/collection area
  • Password — stored securely using industry-standard hashing (we never store or see your plain-text password)
2.2 Order Information

When you place an order, we collect and store:

  • Products ordered, quantities, and prices
  • Collection date preferences
  • Order notes or special instructions
  • Payment status and method
2.3 Automatically Collected Information

When you browse our shop, we may automatically collect:

  • Browser and device information — browser type, operating system
  • Usage data — pages visited, products viewed, time spent on pages
  • Cookies — we use cookies to maintain your session, remember your cart, and track site usage for improving our service
2.4 Social Media Interactions

If you interact with us via our Facebook or Instagram pages (including direct messages, comments, or posts), we may receive:

  • Your public profile name as provided by Facebook/Instagram
  • Messages you send to our page
  • Comments on our posts

This information is used solely to respond to your enquiries and provide customer service. We access this data through the Facebook and Instagram APIs under the following permissions:

  • pages_messaging — to receive and respond to direct messages on our Facebook page
  • pages_read_engagement — to read interactions on our page
  • pages_manage_posts — to create and manage posts on our page
  • pages_manage_metadata — to manage page settings and webhooks
  • instagram_basic — to access our Instagram business profile
  • instagram_manage_messages — to receive and respond to Instagram direct messages
  • instagram_content_publish — to publish content to our Instagram account
  • instagram_manage_comments — to read and respond to comments on our Instagram posts

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Process and fulfil your orders
  • Verify your identity and contact details
  • Communicate with you about your orders, account, or enquiries
  • Manage recurring order subscriptions
  • Respond to your messages on social media platforms
  • Publish content to our social media pages
  • Improve our website, products, and services
  • Comply with legal obligations

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties.

We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

  • Service providers — we may use third-party services for SMS verification, email delivery, and payment processing. These providers only receive the minimum information necessary to perform their service.
  • Legal requirements — if required by law, regulation, or legal process.
  • Business transfers — in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

5. Data Storage and Security

Your personal information is stored on secure servers. We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including:

  • Encrypted passwords
  • Encrypted API tokens and access credentials
  • HTTPS encryption for all data in transit
  • Role-based access controls for administrative functions

While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure.

6. Cookies

We use cookies to:

  • Session cookies — maintain your login session and shopping cart
  • Analytics cookies — understand how visitors use our site so we can improve it
  • Preference cookies — remember your settings and preferences

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of our website.

7. Your Rights

Under Australian Privacy Law, you have the right to:

  • Access your personal information that we hold
  • Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements)
  • Withdraw consent for marketing communications at any time
  • Lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) if you believe your privacy has been breached

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our services. Order records are retained for accounting and legal compliance purposes. You may request deletion of your account at any time by contacting us.

9. Third-Party Platforms

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Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services, including Facebook and Instagram. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

Our use of information received from Facebook and Instagram APIs adheres to the Meta Platform Terms and Meta Developer Policies.

10. Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Continued use of our website after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: