Start2Farm.gov uses the same privacy policy as the USDA Privacy Policy which can be found here. The policy is clear: No personal information will be collected about you when you visit this Web site unless you choose to provide that information. Some considerations of the privacy policy include:
Site Cookies
When you visit some websites, their web servers generate pieces of information known as cookies. Some cookies collect personal information to recognize your computer in the future. This is not the case at Start2Farm.gov, where we only use non-persistent cookies or "per-session cookies." These cookies do not collect personal information on users and they are erased as soon as you leave our website.
Per-session cookies serve technical purposes, like providing seamless navigation through Start2Farm.gov. These cookies do not permanently record data and they are not stored on your computer's hard drive. Start2Farm.gov's cookies are stored in memory and are only available during an active browser session. Again, once you close your browser, the cookie disappears.
Searching the Site
Start2Farm.gov offers users the opportunity to localize their searches by entering their 5 digit zip code. This information and any other information entered into the search are stored in a non-persistent cookie. This means that Start2Farm.gov will not remember your search information beyond a single session. You will need to re-enter your search information after leaving and returning to the site. For more about cookies please see the use of cookies section in the USDA privacy policy.
Additionally Start2Farm.gov may monitor search information in aggregate to help us improve site functionality. This means that we may track how many times a page was viewed, what search terms were used to locate information on this site, etc. We will not retain or analyze individual searches.
Contacting Us
If you choose to provide personal information, as in an e-mail to Start2Farm.gov or by filling out a form with your personal information and submitting it through the Web site, that information is only used to respond to your message and to help locate the information you have requested. E-mail messages are treated the same as letters sent to the National Agricultural Library (NAL). It is required that NAL maintain many documents under the Presidential Records Act for historical purposes; however, personal information is not collected for any purpose other than to respond to you. The information you give us is only shared with another government agency if your inquiry relates to that agency, or as otherwise required by law. Moreover, individual profiles are not created with the information you provide or given to any private organizations. Start2Farm.gov does not collect information for commercial marketing.
Links to Other Sites
Start2Farm.gov has links to many other Web sites. Once you access another site through a link from the Start2Farm.gov, you are subject to the privacy policy of the new site.