Website Terms of Service

Effective Date: July 26, 2026

1. Acceptance of These Terms

These Website Terms and Conditions govern your access to and use of openfarmswny.org and related online services operated by Open Farms.

Open Farms is a DBA of Let’s Goat Rescue, Inc., a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. In these Terms, “Open Farms,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Open Farms and Let’s Goat Rescue, Inc.

By accessing or using the website, submitting a form, registering for an activity, making a donation, or completing a purchase, you agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

Do not use the website if you do not agree to these Terms.

2. Purpose of the Website

The Open Farms website provides information concerning:

  • Open Farms and its nonprofit mission

  • Care farming

  • Animals living at the farm

  • Community co-farming hours

  • Programs and group activities

  • Volunteer opportunities

  • Events

  • Donations

  • Merchandise or other products

  • Educational and community resources

Website information is provided for general informational and organizational purposes.

3. Open Farms Is a Nonclinical Organization

Open Farms is not a medical, behavioral-health, occupational-therapy, physical-therapy, veterinary, legal, financial, or clinical treatment provider.

Nothing on the website constitutes:

  • Medical or behavioral-health advice

  • Diagnosis or treatment

  • Crisis or emergency services

  • Legal advice

  • Tax advice

  • Financial advice

  • A guarantee that a particular program is suitable for any individual

  • A promise of a particular health, educational, vocational, or personal outcome

Care-farming activities may support well-being, confidence, participation, skill development, responsibility, and social connection, but they are not a replacement for appropriate professional care.

Call 911 or contact an appropriate emergency provider when immediate assistance is needed.

4. Eligibility and Use by Minors

Visitors of all ages may view the website.

A person under 18 should use registration, donation, purchase, or submission features only with the involvement and permission of a parent or legal guardian.

Children under 13 may not directly submit personal information through the website. A parent or guardian should complete registrations and communications on their behalf.

The adult completing a form for a minor represents that the adult has authority to provide the information and make the applicable decisions for that minor.

Federal children’s privacy rules focus particularly on online collection from children under 13, making this adult-registration approach the sensible one rather than inviting an eight-year-old to negotiate web consent law between goat chores.

5. Registrations, Reservations, and Program Requests

Submitting a registration, reservation, referral, volunteer form, or program inquiry does not guarantee:

  • Acceptance

  • Placement

  • Availability

  • A specific activity

  • A specific animal interaction

  • A particular accommodation

  • Participation on a requested date

  • Suitability for a particular person or group

Open Farms may contact the submitting person for additional information before confirming participation.

Open Farms may limit, postpone, modify, or decline participation based on:

  • Capacity

  • Staffing

  • Weather

  • Farm conditions

  • Animal welfare

  • Safety

  • Support needs

  • Age or supervision requirements

  • Program suitability

  • Failure to follow instructions

  • Other legitimate operational considerations

6. Farm Visits and Inherent Conditions

Open Farms is a real working farm.

Farm conditions may include:

  • Hills

  • Mud

  • Uneven or slippery ground

  • Grass, gravel, soil, and natural terrain

  • Fencing and gates

  • Farm tools and equipment

  • Weather exposure

  • Dust, hay, manure, animal hair, insects, and allergens

  • Livestock and other animals, including animals moving within designated areas

Interactions with animals and participation in farm activities involve inherent risks that cannot be completely eliminated.

Visitors and participants must follow all posted and verbal safety instructions, remain within authorized areas, supervise children in their care, and treat animals, property, volunteers, staff, and other visitors respectfully.

Participation may require a separate waiver, consent form, volunteer agreement, program agreement, media release, or safety acknowledgment. These Website Terms do not replace or modify those separate documents.

7. Accessibility and Accommodations

Open Farms welcomes people with disabilities and will consider reasonable accommodation requests.

Because the property is a working farm with natural and changing terrain, not every area, activity, or animal interaction will be accessible or appropriate for every visitor.

Visitors are encouraged to contact Open Farms in advance to discuss current conditions, mobility considerations, sensory needs, support persons, service animals, and potential accommodations.

The availability of a particular accommodation cannot be guaranteed until Open Farms has had an opportunity to understand the request and evaluate current conditions.

8. Donations

Donations support the charitable mission and operations of Open Farms and Let’s Goat Rescue, Inc.

Unless expressly agreed otherwise in writing:

  • Donations are voluntary

  • Donations are generally nonrefundable

  • Open Farms may use unrestricted donations where they are most needed in support of its charitable mission

  • A requested designation does not become legally restricted unless Open Farms formally accepts the restriction

  • Online donations are subject to payment-processor authorization

  • Open Farms may reject, refund, or reverse a contribution when appropriate due to error, suspected fraud, legal concerns, or organizational policy

Open Farms is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are generally tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. The donor is responsible for determining the tax treatment of a contribution and should consult a qualified tax professional.

If goods or services are provided in exchange for a payment, only the portion exceeding the fair value of those goods or services may be deductible, subject to applicable law.

9. Purchases and Merchandise

Products displayed through the website are subject to availability.

Open Farms may:

  • Change prices or descriptions

  • Limit quantities

  • Correct typographical or pricing errors

  • Cancel an order when an item is unavailable

  • Refuse or cancel an order involving suspected fraud or misuse

Colors, sizes, packaging, and appearance may vary from photographs shown online.

Shipping and delivery dates are estimates unless specifically guaranteed in writing. Open Farms is not responsible for delays caused by carriers, weather, incorrect addresses, or events outside our reasonable control.

Returns, exchanges, damaged items, and refunds are governed by the return or refund policy displayed at checkout or otherwise provided with the applicable purchase.

A merchandise purchase is not a charitable donation unless Open Farms expressly identifies a deductible contribution amount.

10. Communications

When you provide contact information, Open Farms may use it to:

  • Respond to your inquiry

  • Confirm a registration, donation, or purchase

  • Provide scheduling or safety information

  • Communicate about a volunteer or program relationship

  • Send newsletters or fundraising communications when permitted

You may unsubscribe from nonessential emails using the unsubscribe link or by contacting help@openfarmswny.org.

Unsubscribing from promotional messages does not prevent Open Farms from sending necessary transactional, safety, registration, or account-related communications.

11. Acceptable Use

You may not use the website to:

  • Violate any law or regulation

  • Submit false, misleading, fraudulent, or unauthorized information

  • Impersonate another person or organization

  • Interfere with website security or operation

  • Attempt to access restricted systems or accounts

  • Introduce malicious software, automated attacks, or harmful code

  • Scrape, harvest, or compile personal information without authorization

  • Use website information for harassment, discrimination, exploitation, or unrelated commercial solicitation

  • Infringe intellectual-property, privacy, publicity, or other legal rights

  • Misrepresent a relationship with Open Farms

  • Use Open Farms’ name, logo, photographs, or materials to solicit funds without written authorization

Open Farms may block access, reject submissions, cancel registrations, or report activity when misuse is suspected.

12. Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise stated, the website and its content are owned by or licensed to Open Farms or Let’s Goat Rescue, Inc.

Protected materials may include:

  • Text

  • Photographs

  • Videos

  • Animal stories

  • Logos

  • Graphics

  • Program descriptions

  • Educational materials

  • Downloadable documents

  • Website design and organization

You may view and print reasonable portions of the website for personal, educational, or noncommercial informational use.

You may not reproduce, modify, sell, license, publish, distribute, or commercially exploit website content without written permission, except as allowed by law.

References to third-party names, trademarks, photographs, or materials remain the property of their respective owners.

13. Submitted Content

When you voluntarily submit a testimonial, photograph, story, comment, or other material for possible publication, you represent that:

  • You have the right to submit it

  • It does not violate another person’s rights

  • Any required consent has been obtained

  • The information is accurate to the best of your knowledge

Open Farms will not publicly use an identifiable participant’s photograph, testimonial, or personal story merely because it was supplied through an administrative form. Public use will remain subject to any applicable consent, media release, or separate authorization.

14. Third-Party Services and Links

The website may contain links to or integrations with third-party services, including:

  • Squarespace

  • Payment processors

  • Mapping services

  • Social-media platforms

  • Scheduling tools

  • Shipping providers

  • Partner organizations

  • Embedded media

Open Farms does not control unaffiliated third-party websites and is not responsible for their availability, content, security, privacy practices, products, services, or representations.

A link does not necessarily mean that Open Farms endorses every statement, product, or service offered by the third party.

15. Website Accuracy and Availability

Open Farms makes reasonable efforts to keep website information accurate and current. However:

  • Farm hours may change

  • Activities may vary by season

  • Weather may affect operations

  • Animals may be unavailable for interaction

  • Programs may change

  • Products may become unavailable

  • Website information may contain errors or become outdated

Visitors should confirm time-sensitive information before traveling to the farm.

Open Farms may modify, suspend, restrict, or discontinue any part of the website without prior notice.

16. Disclaimer of Warranties

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the website and its content are provided “as is” and “as available.”

Open Farms does not warrant that:

  • The website will always be available or error-free

  • All content will be complete or current

  • The website will meet every visitor’s needs

  • Files or communications will be free from harmful components

  • Participation in a program will produce a particular result

  • A linked third-party service will perform as expected

Nothing in these Terms excludes a warranty or right that cannot lawfully be excluded.

17. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Open Farms, Let’s Goat Rescue, Inc., and their directors, officers, volunteers, employees, contractors, and representatives will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages arising from use of or inability to use the website.

This limitation applies to claims involving:

  • Website errors or interruptions

  • Reliance on website information

  • Unauthorized access or security incidents

  • Third-party links or services

  • Lost data

  • Lost opportunities

  • Online registrations or transactions

These Website Terms do not limit liability that cannot legally be limited and do not replace any separate participant agreement, liability waiver, purchase agreement, or other written agreement.

18. Indemnification

To the extent permitted by law, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Open Farms, Let’s Goat Rescue, Inc., and their directors, officers, volunteers, employees, contractors, and representatives from claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and reasonable expenses resulting from:

  • Your unlawful or unauthorized use of the website

  • Information or content you submit

  • Your violation of these Terms

  • Your infringement of another person’s rights

  • Fraudulent or malicious conduct

This section does not apply where prohibited by law.

19. Privacy

Use of the website is also governed by the Open Farms Privacy Policy.

The Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use and share it, how long it may be retained, and the choices available to visitors.

20. Changes to These Terms

Open Farms may revise these Terms to reflect changes in:

  • Website functions

  • Programs

  • Transactions

  • Organizational practices

  • Technology

  • Legal requirements

The effective date will be updated when changes are published.

Continued use of the website after revised Terms take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

21. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Any dispute concerning the website or these Terms shall be brought in a court with appropriate jurisdiction in Erie County, New York, unless applicable law requires otherwise.

22. Severability and Waiver

If any provision of these Terms is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in effect.

A failure by Open Farms to enforce a provision on one occasion does not waive the right to enforce it later.

23. Entire Agreement

These Terms and the Privacy Policy constitute the general agreement governing use of the public website.

Separate agreements may apply to:

  • Farm visits

  • Program participation

  • Volunteering

  • Events

  • Group activities

  • Media permissions

  • Purchases

  • Employment or contracting

  • Access to protected organizational systems

When a separate signed agreement conflicts with these Website Terms, the separate agreement will govern the specific activity it covers.

24. Contact Information

Questions concerning these Terms may be directed to:

Open Farms
A DBA of Let’s Goat Rescue, Inc.
7512 Genesee Road
Springville, NY 14141
Telephone: 716-803-7484
Email: help@openfarmswny.org
Federal EIN: 87-3777961