A clear policy for notes you send us.

1. Who operates the website

Sow is operated by Luke Cassady-Dorion ("Sow," "we," "us," or "our"). This Website Submissions Privacy Policy applies to information submitted through sow.garden, including contact forms, TestFlight requests, newsletter signups, and plant-illustration requests.

This policy does not replace the App Data Privacy Policy, which explains the separate handling of garden content and Garden Walk processing in the Sow app.

2. Information you may submit

Depending on the form you use, we may receive your name, contact email, message, a short title, your selected request type, device preference, general growing region or location you choose to provide, plant name, and optional image attachment.

For newsletter signups, we receive your email address, consent choice, and basic signup details. For TestFlight requests, we receive the information needed to coordinate the invitation. We do not ask for your Apple ID email address simply to stay in touch.

3. How we use submissions

We use website-submitted information to respond to feedback, feature requests, bug reports, plant suggestions, TestFlight requests, and other messages; to review recurring product themes; to administer TestFlight; and to send requested product updates or newsletters.

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information. We do not use website submissions to build third-party advertising profiles.

4. TestFlight invitations

If you request an invitation, we keep your request in our private website system so we can review it, avoid duplicate entries, prepare an invitation, record whether we sent it, and communicate about the beta. An Apple TestFlight invitation is governed by Apple's services and terms after it is sent.

5. Newsletter and product updates

If you opt in to updates, we use your email address for occasional news about Sow and other apps by Luke Cassady-Dorion. We keep your Sow list membership and a shared app-updates membership, along with the wording version and signup history. You may unsubscribe through a message we send or by emailing luke@sow.garden. We retain a limited record of the unsubscribe choice so we can honor it.

6. Plant-illustration requests

When you ask Sow to consider or generate a plant illustration, we store the request details and any reference image you submit in private website storage. We send the plant name and request details to OpenAI's image-generation API to create a candidate botanical illustration for review. We do not send your optional reference image to OpenAI.

Do not submit a photograph unless you have the right to share it for review. OpenAI processes request content under its own terms and API data controls. Sow does not opt in to use API data to train OpenAI models.

7. Hosting, email, and storage providers

We use Vercel to host sow.garden, Supabase to store website-submission records and private attachments, and Resend to send service and contact email. Our Supabase deployment is located in the United States (North Virginia). These providers may process limited information in other countries where they operate.

We share information with these providers only as needed to run the website, receive and respond to submissions, and provide the features you request.

8. Analytics and browser settings

sow.garden saves your analytics choice in your browser so the site can remember it. If you accept optional analytics, the site loads Google Analytics to understand broad site use, such as pages viewed and device or approximate regional information. Google Analytics does not load if you decline optional analytics.

You can change this choice through Cookie settings in the site footer. Google's privacy policy applies to Google's processing of analytics information.

9. Retention and security

We keep contact and request information while it is reasonably needed to answer, administer, or maintain a record of the request, protect the service, or meet legal obligations. We do not currently use a fixed automatic deletion schedule for website submissions.

We use access controls intended to limit access to website submissions to the people operating Sow. No system can promise absolute security, so please do not submit sensitive information that is not needed for your request.

10. Deletion requests and your rights

You can request deletion of information submitted through the website by emailing luke@sow.garden from the contact address used for the submission. Tell us enough to locate the request, such as the approximate date and request type. We may need to verify the request before acting on it.

Depending on where you live, you may also have rights to ask us to access, correct, or explain personal information we control. We may retain limited information where necessary to meet legal obligations, resolve disputes, or protect the service.

11. Children, changes, and contact

Sow is not directed to children under 13. If you believe a child has submitted personal information through the site, contact us so we can review the request.

We may update this policy as the website changes. We will publish the revised version with a new last-updated date. Questions about this policy can be sent to luke@sow.garden.