Privacy Policy

How we respect and protect your information

At Farmhouse Artisan Cheese, we believe in treating your personal information with the same care and respect we give to selecting our cheeses. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your data.

Who We Are

Farmhouse Artisan Cheese is a specialty cheese shop located at 345 Kerr Street, Oakville, Ontario in Canada. We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy laws.

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, please contact us at info@farmhouseartisancheese.com or call us at (905) 582-9600.

Information We Collect

Website Activity

When you visit our website, we use Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with our site. This helps us improve your experience and ensure our website serves you well. Google Analytics collects information such as:

  • Pages you visit and how long you spend on them
  • How you arrived at our website
  • Your general location (city or region)
  • Device and browser type

What Google Analytics does NOT collect:

  • Your name or personal identity
  • Your exact street address or precise location
  • Your email address or phone number
  • Payment or credit card information
  • Passwords or login credentials
  • Information you enter in contact forms

Google Analytics helps us understand how people use our website without knowing who they are individually.

We only collect this analytics data after you explicitly accept cookies through our cookie consent banner. You can decline at any time, and we will not track your visit.

Contact Forms

When you contact us through our website, we collect:

  • Your name
  • Email address
  • Phone number (if provided)
  • Your message or inquiry

We use this information solely to respond to your inquiry and provide the assistance you've requested. We do not share this information with third parties.

Newsletter Subscriptions

If you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect:

  • Your name
  • Your email address
  • Your phone number (if provided)

We use this information to send you updates about new cheese arrivals, special events, seasonal offerings, and other news from our shop. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of every newsletter email.

In-Store Interactions

Occasionally, we may collect your contact information in our shop if you request to be notified about a specific product, special order, or event. This is always done with your knowledge and consent, and we use this information only for the purpose you've agreed to.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Respond to your inquiries and provide customer service
  • Process special orders and notify you when products arrive
  • Send you our newsletter (only if you've subscribed)
  • Improve our website and understand how visitors use it
  • Maintain records of our communications with you

We will never sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for their marketing purposes. We treat your information as we would want ours treated: with care and respect.

Third-Party Services

To operate our website and communicate with you, we use trusted third-party services:

Website Analytics: We use analytics tools to understand how visitors use our website. These tools only activate after you accept cookies.

Email Delivery: We use email service providers to process contact form submissions and manage our newsletter subscriptions.

Each of these services has its own privacy policy and security measures. They are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we've authorized.

Cookies and Tracking

Our website uses cookies only for Google Analytics tracking, and only after you explicitly accept them through our cookie consent banner when you first visit our site.

You have complete control over cookie usage:

  • You can decline cookies when the banner appears
  • You can clear your browser's cookies at any time
  • You can change your cookie settings in your browser preferences

If you decline cookies, you can still use our website fully.

Data Security

We take reasonable precautions to protect your personal information from loss, theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, or modification. Our security measures include:

  • Secure hosting infrastructure
  • Encrypted data transmission (SSL/HTTPS)
  • Limited access to personal information (only authorized staff)
  • Regular security updates and monitoring

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We encourage you to use caution when sharing sensitive information online.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected:

  • Contact form inquiries: We keep correspondence for up to two years to reference past conversations and maintain service quality
  • Newsletter subscriptions: We retain your email address until you unsubscribe
  • Analytics data: Google Analytics retains data according to their retention policies
  • In-store contact information: We retain only as long as needed for the specific purpose you agreed to

After these periods, we securely delete or anonymize your information.

Your Rights

Under Canadian privacy law, you have the right to:

  • Access your information: Request to see what personal information we hold about you
  • Correct your information: Request corrections to any inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Delete your information: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to certain legal exceptions)
  • Withdraw consent: Unsubscribe from our newsletter or decline cookies at any time
  • File a complaint: Contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you believe we've mishandled your information

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@farmhouseartisancheese.com or call (905) 582-9600. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

Children's Privacy

Our website and services are not directed at children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please reach out to us:

Farmhouse Artisan Cheese
345 Kerr Street
Oakville, ON L6K 3B7

Email: info@farmhouseartisancheese.com
Phone: (905) 582-9600

This Privacy Policy complies with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation.

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