Legal

Privacy Policy

Effective June 24, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Homestead Enterprises (“Homestead Enterprises”, “smallbeef”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, discloses, and safeguards information in connection with the smallbeef platform, including the website at smallbeef.com, the ranch storefronts hosted at subdomains and custom domains, our applications, and related services (collectively, the “Services”). smallbeef is a multi-tenant marketplace platform that enables ranchers and other producers (“Ranchers”) to sell meat and related products directly to consumers (“Customers”). This Policy applies to Ranchers, Customers, and visitors to the Services.

Please read this Policy carefully. By accessing or using the Services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood it. If you do not agree, please do not use the Services.

1. Roles: who controls your data

smallbeef provides the technology that powers each Rancher’s storefront. For a Rancher’s own customer relationships, marketing, and order fulfillment, the Rancher is an independent controller of the personal information of Customers who purchase from that Rancher, and smallbeef acts as a service provider/processor that handles that information on the Rancher’s behalf. For our own operation of the platform — including Rancher accounts, billing, platform security, and analytics — smallbeef is the controller. Each Rancher is responsible for its own privacy practices and for providing any notices required to its Customers.

2. Information we collect

2.1 Information Customers provide

• Account and contact details: name, email address, phone number, and password-less sign-in identifiers.
• Order and delivery information: items purchased, order history, shipping and delivery addresses, pickup selections, and order notes or preferences (e.g., cut preferences).
• Payment information: processed by our payment provider (Stripe). We do not store full payment card numbers; we receive limited details such as the last four digits, card brand, and payment status.
• Communications: messages, support tickets, reviews, and survey responses you submit.

2.2 Information Ranchers provide

• Business and account details: business name, contact name, email, phone, and address.
• Payout and identity verification information collected by Stripe for Stripe Connect (e.g., legal entity details, bank/payout details, tax identifiers, and verification documents). This is collected and held by Stripe; smallbeef receives only account status and limited metadata.
• Catalog and operational content: products, descriptions, pricing, inventory, lot/traceability data, processor information, and any media or storytelling content you upload.
• Tax and compliance information you provide for invoicing, labeling, or reporting.

2.3 Information collected automatically

• Device and usage data: IP address, browser type, device identifiers, pages viewed, referring URLs, and interactions with the Services.
• Cookies and similar technologies, including strictly necessary cookies used for authentication and session management (e.g., keeping you signed in), and, where applicable, analytics cookies. See “Cookies” below.
• Log and security data used to operate, secure, and troubleshoot the Services.

2.4 Information from third parties

We receive information from service providers such as Stripe (payment and Connect account status), our email and infrastructure providers, and, where applicable, analytics providers. If a Rancher imports customer or contact lists, the Rancher is responsible for having the right to share that information.

3. How we use information

• Provide, operate, and maintain the Services, including hosting storefronts and processing orders.
• Facilitate transactions between Customers and Ranchers, including payments, payouts, receipts, invoicing, and fulfillment (pickup, local delivery, or shipping).
• Authenticate users and secure accounts (e.g., sending magic-link sign-in emails).
• Communicate with you about orders, account activity, support requests, and service or policy updates (transactional messages).
• Send marketing or promotional messages where permitted and, where required, with your consent; you may opt out at any time.
• Monitor, prevent, detect, and address fraud, abuse, security incidents, and technical issues.
• Comply with legal, tax, food-safety, traceability, labeling, and regulatory obligations, and enforce our terms.
• Analyze and improve the Services, including aggregated and de-identified benchmarking that does not identify any individual.

4. How we share and disclose information

• Between Ranchers and Customers: when a Customer places an order with a Rancher, we share the order and the information necessary to fulfill it (such as name, contact, and delivery details) with that Rancher. We do not share a Customer’s information with Ranchers the Customer has not transacted with.
• Service providers / processors: payment processing (Stripe), cloud hosting and infrastructure (Amazon Web Services), email delivery, shipping/logistics, and analytics — each only to the extent needed to provide their service to us.
• Legal and safety: to comply with applicable law, legal process, or governmental request; to enforce our agreements; or to protect the rights, property, or safety of smallbeef, our users, or the public — including product recalls and food-safety matters.
• Business transfers: in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, or sale of assets, subject to this Policy.
• With your consent or at your direction.
• Aggregated or de-identified information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you.

We do not sell personal information for money. We do not use Customer information to advertise other Ranchers’ products without consent.

5. Payments

Payments are processed by Stripe, Inc. Card and bank details are submitted directly to Stripe and are subject to Stripe’s privacy policy and terms. Ranchers receiving payouts use Stripe Connect, and Stripe collects the information necessary to verify identity and enable payouts. We receive transaction status and limited metadata, not full payment instrument numbers.

6. Cookies and tracking technologies

We use strictly necessary cookies to operate the Services, including authentication and session cookies that keep you signed in across smallbeef.com and ranch storefronts. We may use analytics cookies to understand usage and improve the Services. You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling strictly necessary cookies may prevent parts of the Services from functioning. Where required by law, we will request consent for non-essential cookies.

7. Data retention

We retain personal information for as long as needed to provide the Services and for legitimate business or legal purposes, such as maintaining order and traceability records, resolving disputes, meeting tax and regulatory requirements, and enforcing agreements. When information is no longer needed, we delete or de-identify it. Ranchers control the retention of their own Customer records within the Services, subject to platform minimums.

8. Security

We implement administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to protect information, including encryption in transit, tenant data isolation, scoped access controls, and secure credential handling. No method of transmission or storage is fully secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your privacy rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, update, delete, or port your personal information, to object to or restrict certain processing, and to withdraw consent. To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@smallbeef.com. If your request concerns information a Rancher controls (e.g., your relationship with a specific ranch), we may direct your request to, or assist, that Rancher. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.

9.1 U.S. state privacy rights (including California)

Residents of California and certain other U.S. states may have rights under laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended (CCPA/CPRA), including the right to know, delete, and correct personal information, and to opt out of “sale” or “sharing” of personal information and certain targeted advertising. We do not sell personal information for money. To submit a request, contact privacy@smallbeef.com. You may use an authorized agent where permitted by law.

9.2 EEA / UK rights

If you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, our legal bases for processing include performance of a contract, compliance with legal obligations, your consent, and our legitimate interests in operating and improving the Services. You may have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

10. International data transfers

We operate primarily in the United States, and information may be processed and stored in the United States and other countries where we or our service providers operate. Where required, we use appropriate safeguards for cross-border transfers.

11. Marketing communications

We send transactional messages (such as sign-in links, receipts, and order updates) as part of providing the Services. With your consent where required, Ranchers and smallbeef may send marketing messages; you can opt out via the unsubscribe link or by contacting us. Transactional messages are not subject to opt-out.

12. Children’s privacy

The Services are not directed to children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

13. Third-party links and services

The Services may link to third-party websites or services that we do not control. This Policy does not apply to those third parties, and we encourage you to review their privacy notices.

14. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version with a revised “Effective” date and, where appropriate, provide additional notice. Your continued use of the Services after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.

15. Contact us

For privacy questions or requests, contact Homestead Enterprises at privacy@smallbeef.com. You can also reach our team through the Support page.