Privacy Policy
Tom the Apple Man is committed to protecting and respecting your online privacy.
Our Privacy Policy sets out how we collect, use, share and store personal information that you provide to us. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, please contact us.
This policy is written in accordance with current Data Protection Laws. If you disagree with anything relayed in this policy, you must not use the Sites or provide us with any information that could be deemed personal to you or identifiable as set out below.
Data Protection Contact
Tom the Apple Man is based in Shropshire, United Kingdom. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns about any policies or practices regarding Personal Data using the contact information provided below:
Tom at tomtheappleman@yahoo.co.uk
Collection of Personal Information
a) Information provided directly and voluntarily provided to Tom the apple man by you
Clients: As a client of Tom the Apple Man, you provide us with personal information that makes you identifiable as an individual such as your email address, name and business or home address. We may also request that you provide us with voluntary information, such as your phone number. By doing this you consent to us keeping in contact with you to ensure we are providing the best product/s and service/s.
Suppliers: As a supplier of products to Tom the Apple Man, we are required to collect appropriate details when products have been purchased from yourselves. This information includes an email address, full name, business address and telephone number. By law we have keep this information to ensure if there are any issues in the future with any of the products or services provided to us, we have a point of contact to resolve these.
Online Enquiries: All information you provide to us via our website will be collected within the Content Management System applied on the website at that time. This information is transmitted to our email system as the CMS automatically sends notification emails.
b) Automatic Collection of Data: We may collect data about you when you use our Sites or our services. For example, if you access the Website via a computer, this information and what browser type you are accessing the Site on will automatically be collected to ensure you are provided with the best technical experience on our website. Similarly, with mobile devices, our Site will recognise when a device has accessed the site in order to alter layouts making the user experience ideal for a smaller device.
Information that may be collected by cookies when you use the Sites may include, without limitation:
the date and time of your visit the Sites;
the amount of time you spend using the Sites;
the pages you visit within the Sites;
the Internet Protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer to the Internet; and/or
your computer and connection information such as your browser type and version, operating system and platform.
This information is collected to improve user experience and you can prevent the use of cookies in your web browser settings. We will not associate any personal information we hold on our Servers with any web information that is collected.
c) Third-Party Data Collection & Processing Services:
Tom the Apple Man utilises third party analytics software including Google Analytics. These Analytics Tools may use cookies to collect information about the content you view, what websites you visit immediately prior to visiting the Sites, and your system information and geographic information. The information collected by these analytics services allows us to analyse your use of the Sites. The Analytics Tools may also transfer this information to third parties where required by law. Where such third parties process the information on their behalf. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings in your web browser, however, please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of the Sites. By using the Sites, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set described above. You can opt-out of Google Analytics by installing Google’s opt-out browser add-on, using Google’s Ads Settings.
d) Information you share with us on our Sites: Any information posted on our Sites is public, however we do not associate any information regarding comments or reviews on our website with the individual but the business as a whole.
e) Information Provided to Payment Processors: All payments made to Tom the Apple Man are processed by a PCI/DSS-compliant (these are payment card industry security standards) payment processing service engaged by Tom the Apple Man. All information collected by these third-party providers for purposes of processing your payments is not seen by us, unless you have otherwise provided this information to us in connection with your use of the Sites or our products. Any information you provide is confidential and is exclusive to the business at the time it is collected. We will not link your financial information with your usage of our Site.
Using, Sharing & Retention of Data
As set forth in this Privacy Policy or when specifically agreed to by you, we will not disclose personal information we gather from you to third parties unless Tom the Apple Man is required to share this information to complete your request or for legitimate business use.
a) How We Use your Information: Tom the Apple Man uses our personal information for the purposes stated at the time of collection; to provide advice, products and services to you as a customer, in order to process an order you have placed with us. Tom the Apple Man also uses your information, as legally permitted, to keep you updated on company news, our products and services, to ensure you are receiving the best products for your particular use.
b) How/When We Share your Information: Tom the Apple Man will only share your information when we are required to, for example if a court order or government request occurs and states that it requires specific information. To the extent permitted by law, we will disclose your information to government authorities or third parties if required to do so by law or regulation, or in response to a subpoena or court order or any other enforceable governmental request or order or we believe in our sole discretion that disclosure is necessary to protect against fraud, to protect the property or other rights of us or other users, third parties or the public at large or if we believe that you have abused the Sites by using them to attack other systems or to gain unauthorized access to any other system, to engage in spamming or otherwise to violate applicable laws. Please be aware that, following disclosure to any third party, your information may be accessible by others to the extent permitted or required by applicable law.
c) Legal Basis for Processing of Personal Information: If you reside within the European Economic Area (EEA), our processing of your personal information will be as follows; to ensure it is legitimate.
Whenever we require your consent for the processing of your personal information such processing will be justified pursuant to Article 6(1) lit. (a) of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (“GDPR”). This article in the GDPR describes when processing can be done within the law.
If the processing of your personal data is necessary for the performance of a contract between yourself and Tom the Apple Man or for taking any pre-contractual steps upon your request, such processing will be based on GDPR Article 6(1) lit. (b).”). If this data is not processed, Tom the Apple Man will not be able to conclude the contract with you.
Where the processing is necessary for us to comply with a legal obligation, we will process your information on basis of GDPR Article 6(1) lit. (c), for example complying in the fields of employment law.
And where processing is necessary for the purposes of Tom the Apple Man’s legitimate interests, such processing will be made in accordance with GDPR Article 6(1) lit. (f).
d) Marketing Uses: Tom the Apple Man may contact you from time to time with relevant information regarding products or services that may be of interest to you. When you provide your data to us you will be automatically entered into our email marketing system. You can opt out of this at any time by following the instructions set out in the emails you receive from us and then you shall no longer receive any marketing emails.
e) Transferring Data: We may be required to transfer your data to a third party that is not based within the European Economic Area. In such circumstances, we will always contact you prior to doing so to confirm that you are happy for us to transfer data in a secure and relevant way. Transferring of data in this way is a rarity unless it is for the purpose of law enforcement, or it is to a supplier that may require your assistance.
f) Data Retention: Tom the Apple Man will only retain your data for as long as we feel is necessary. There is certain information we have to keep on file as required by law. For Instance – we are required to keep a record of payments for a minimum of 6 years according to current UK tax laws. If you have any questions about this, don’t hesitate to send an email to tomtheappleman@yahoo.co.uk
Data Subject Rights
As the subject of data under the current Data Protection laws, you can ask us to remove your personal data from our database and anonymise you as an individual. You can also request to view what data we hold on our system about you as an individual. Where possible we will respond to these requests as soon as possible. Our site may, from time to time, contain links to and from the websites of our partner networks. If you follow a link to any of these websites, please note that these websites have their own privacy policies and that we do not accept any responsibility or liability for these policies. Please check these policies before you submit any personal data.
a) Security of Your Information: All data is kept on a secure server network within Tom the Apple Man. There are all relevant security measures in place to ensure your data is held safely. These include certain procedures, physical or technological protection and may include encryption of data or asking you for proof of identity before we disclose your personal information to yourself.
In the event of a data breach, as set out in the General Data Protection Regulation, you will be informed within 72 hours.
The data that we collect from you may be transferred to, and stored at, a destination outside the European Economic Area (“EEA“). It may also be processed by staff operating outside the EEA who work for us or for one of our suppliers. Such staff maybe engaged in, among other things, the processing of your payment details and the provision of support services. By submitting your personal data, you agree to this transfer, storing or processing. We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely.
b) Data Storage and Retention: Tom the Apple Man will only retain information for as long as is required for business purposes. We deem it necessary to keep all company information in regards to transactions and, payment etc.
Modification of our Privacy Notice
Tom the Apple Man may need to make alterations to this privacy policy in line with business practices, data collection practices or organisation as a whole. We reserve the right to amend, without any notice to you, at any time and for any reason we deem necessary. It is strongly recommended to check the Site often, referring to the date of the last modification listed at the top. We will in any case not reduce your rights under this Privacy Notice without your explicit and informed consent. If you do not agree to the changes, please discontinue your use of the Sites, and cease providing personal information to us, prior to the time the modified Privacy Notice takes effect.
If you continue using the Site or provide personal information after the modified Privacy Notice takes effect, you will be bound by the modified Privacy Notice.
Questions, Concerns or Complaints
Questions regarding our Privacy Notice should be directed to Tom the Apple Man’s data privacy resource: tomtheappleman@yahoo.co.uk. If you would like to modify the types of marketing email messages you receive from us, you may do so by following the instructions contained in of any email message that you receive from us.
To help us keep your personal information up to date, or to request access to the personal information we maintains about you, you may contact us at tomtheappleman@yahoo.co.uk
Environmental Statement
At Tom the Apple Man, we believe that we have a responsibility to care for and protect the environment in which we operate. Indeed, the business would not be possible without a healthy environment, maintained through sustainable land management practices, which is why we took the decision to become certified organic by the Soil Association in 2020.
We are fully committed to maintaining and enhancing environmental performance across all of our business activities, because sustainable management of natural resources is at the heart of what we do.
We recognise our key impacts to be in the areas of: emissions to air via fossil fuel usage (vehicles onsite including a tractor and mower/rotavator, and transport to and from site), raw material and compost use/inputs brought onto site, and mains water use for irrigation.
Due to the nature of the business, protecting and maintaining the environment is a high priority in all areas of production, sales and distribution. We are continually assessing our organisational activities and identify areas where we can reduce our environmental impact.
On the nursery we take the following steps to minimise our environmental impact and be sustainable –
- We continue to work with peat free growing medium, and encourage others to do the same.
- We minimise waste through careful and efficient use of all materials and energy, including cycling to work when possible and being efficient in our use of machinery.
- We recycle organic material and waste trees and use it in other areas of our operations, where appropriate.
- We minimise our environmental effect by correctly employing waste procedures including recycling and on-site composting. We are planning to scale up our on-site composting to reduce the amount of compost brought in from external sources, and with it the associated fossil fuel usage.
- We manage and facilitate a diverse range of horticultural activity on site, with a sustainable approach to land management, giving multiple benefits for humans and nature.
- We collect rainwater runoff and store it for summer irrigation and are planning to install a gravity fed system of ponds, which will provide water and habitat provision.
- We continue to allocate areas of our nursery as natural habitat including wildflower strips and woodland buffer zones. We use our land in an environmentally sensitive manner, allowing for periods of rest and improvement with the use of green manures.
- In line with organic certification standards, we never use any chemicals and are actively fostering integrated pest management and biological controls via habitat provision for various invertebrate species.
- We minimise any single use plastics and promote materials which can be recycled.
- We reduce our usage of any product or process which may compromise the above aims.
Tom the Apple Man will continue to review the above statements on an annual basis to ensure that they are fulfilled.
Modern Slavery Policy
We recognise that modern slavery is a crime and a morally reprehensible act that deprives a person’s liberty and dignity for another person’s gain. It affects millions of people around the world, including many in developed countries. We also recognise that every company is potentially at risk of being indirectly, and unknowingly involved in this crime through its own operations and supply chain.
At Tom Adam’s Fruit Tree Nursery we have a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery and are fully committed to preventing slavery and human trafficking in our operation and supply chain. We have taken steps to tackle modern slavery, as outlined in our statement. This statement sets out the actions that we have taken to understand all potential modern slavery risks related to our business, and to implement steps to prevent slavery and human trafficking during the financial year 2022-23.
Our business and supply chains
- We are primarily an organic fruit tree nursery
selling heritage varities of bare rooted trees including apples, pears, plums,
quince and cherry. We also run onsite courses and hold occasional ‘farm gate’
markets and events. - We retail our products and services within the UK
- Any goods bought onto site through the business are usually purchased within the UK, and from UK suppliers, however some of our inputs such as rootstocks or seeds may be imported from Europe if they are not possible to optain within the UK
We establish a relationship of trust and integrity with all our suppliers, which is built upon mutually beneficial factors. Our supplier selection and on-boarding procedure includes due diligence of the supplier’s reputation, respect for the law, compliance with health, safety and environmental standards, and references.
We haven’t been made aware of any allegations of human trafficking/slavery activities against any of our suppliers, but if we were, then we would act immediately against the supplier and report it to the authorities.
Risk Assessment Policies
Tom Adam’s Fruit Tree Nursery operates the following policies for identifying and preventing slavery and human trafficking in our operations:
- Whistleblowing Policy – we encourage all employees, customers and suppliers to report any suspicion of slavery or human trafficking without fear of retaliation, which would be treated with strictest confidence.
- Code of Conduct – we strive to maintain the highest standards of conduct and ethical behaviour, rooted in a respect for the environment and all human and non-human life.
- Purchasing Code – whilst our input purchasing is largely limited to goods and services from UK suppliers with whom with have a good working relationship, we will remain vigilant to the potential for our suppliers, or those companies further upstream, to be at risk of unwittingly facilitating, or indeed intentionally committing crimes related to slavery and human trafficking, and will take appropriate action if we find this to be the case.
Supplier due diligence
Tom Adam’s Fruit Tree Nursery conducts due diligence on all new suppliers during on-boarding and on existing suppliers at regular intervals. This includes:
- Assessing risks in the provision of particular services
- Requiring improvements to substandard employment practices
- Sanctioning suppliers that fail to improve their performance in line with our requirements by halting business with them, and taking appropriate action to raise concerns with the relevant authorities.
- We require all suppliers to attest that:
- They don’t use any form of forced, compulsory or slave labour.
- Their employees work voluntarily and are entitled to leave work
- They provide each employee with an employment contract that contains a reasonable notice period for terminating their employment
- They don’t require employees to post a deposit/bond and don’t withhold their salaries for any reasons
- They don’t require employees to surrender their passports or work permits as a condition of employment
Awareness
Tom Adam’s Fruit Tree Nursery has raised awareness of modern slavery issues by engaging with official literature on the issue, to guard against the risk of
any unknowing or unintentional enablement, facilitation, or other involvement with the crime so that we:
- Are committed in the fight against modern slavery
- Are aware of red flags for potential cases of slavery or human trafficking
- Know how we should report suspicions of modern slavery
Training
Tom Adam’s Fruit Tree Nursery is a business partnership, owned and directed by Tom Adam’s and Bryony (Adams?) and does not currently have any employees. In
the event that the business takes on any employees, training in this area will be completed covering:
- Various forms of modern slavery in which people can be held and exploited
- The size of the problem and the risk to our organisation
- How employees can identify the signs of slavery and human trafficking, including unrealistically low prices
- How employees should respond if they suspect slavery or human trafficking
- How suppliers can escalate potential slavery or human trafficking issues to the relevant people within their own organisation
- What external help is available for the victims of slavery
- What terms and guidance should be provided to suppliers in relation to slavery policies and controls
- What steps Tom Adam’s Fruit Tree Nursery will take if a supplier fails to implement anti-slavery policies or controls
- An attestation from employees that they will abide by Tom Adam’s Fruit Tree Nursery’s anti-slavery policy
Measuring how we’re performing
Tom Adam’s Fruit Tree Nursery has defined a set of key performance indicators and controls to combat modern slavery and human trafficking in our organisation and supply chain. These include:
- If appropriate – have any employees completed relevant training?
- How many suppliers have rolled out an awareness and training programme that is equivalent to ours?
- How many reports have been made by our employees that indicate their awareness of and sensitivity to ethical issues?
- Keeping up to date with the most likely areas, businesses, suppliers, contexts or situations in which Tom Adam’s Fruit Tree Nursery might be at risk of being involved in, unknowingly benefitting from, facilitating or otherwise coming into contact with modern slavery and human trafficking and being vigilant against these risks.
This statement was published on 12
July 2022, and will be reviewed annually.
