Plain-English summary: LOAM keeps your garden data on your device. We don't collect, transmit, or sell your personal information. The only data that ever leaves your device is the postal code you optionally enter for weather lookups, which is sent to a public weather API.
1. Who we are
LOAM is a garden planning app developed and maintained by Vita Imaging. This privacy policy describes what data the LOAM app handles, where that data is stored, and what choices you have about it.
LOAM stores everything you enter directly on your device using your browser's local storage and IndexedDB. Nothing in this section is ever sent to us or to any third party.
Bed plans: Garden layouts, crop placements, sun mapping, and bed dimensions you create.
Journal entries: Dated notes, observations, harvest amounts, and any photos you attach.
Photos: Images you add to journal entries are stored as binary blobs in your browser's IndexedDB. They are never uploaded.
Tasks & reminders: Auto-generated and custom gardening tasks, including completion status.
Preferences: Your hardiness zone, hemisphere, shading display mode, container/greenhouse toggles, and similar app settings.
Postal code: If you choose to enable weather features, the postal code you enter is stored locally so you don't have to re-enter it.
3. What data is sent over the network
LOAM is designed to work offline. The only network requests it makes are:
Weather API (Open-Meteo): If you enable the Weather panel and provide a postal code, LOAM sends your postal code (and the country code you specify) to Open-Meteo to retrieve a local forecast. Open-Meteo is a free, open-source weather API that does not require an API key or user identification. Their privacy policy is available at open-meteo.com/en/terms.
App updates: When the app loads, your browser may fetch the most recent version of the app shell from loam.vitaimaging.com. Standard web server logs (IP address, user agent, request timestamp) are kept for 30 days for security and operational purposes only.
LOAM does not include any analytics services (no Google Analytics, no Firebase, no Mixpanel, no Sentry, etc.), advertising SDKs, social media trackers, or third-party scripts of any kind.
4. What we do NOT collect
We do not collect your name, email, phone number, or any account information — LOAM has no user accounts.
We do not collect your precise GPS location. The postal code you optionally enter is the only location data, and it stays on your device except when sent to the weather API for a forecast.
We do not collect your photos, journal text, harvest data, or any garden plan data.
We do not use cookies for tracking. The app uses local storage and IndexedDB exclusively for its own functionality.
We do not show ads.
We do not sell or share data with third parties for marketing purposes.
5. Permissions LOAM may request
Notifications (optional): If you enable browser/device notifications in the Tasks panel, LOAM will use them to remind you of gardening tasks. Permission is opt-in and can be revoked in your device settings at any time.
Camera / photo library (optional): If you add a photo to a journal entry, the app accesses your device's photo picker. The selected photo is stored only in LOAM's local IndexedDB on your device.
Storage: The app uses standard browser storage (localStorage and IndexedDB) to keep your data between sessions.
6. Your data is yours — export & delete
LOAM provides tools to export and delete your data on demand:
Journal export: The Journal panel includes an "Export JSON" button that produces a complete backup of all journal entries and photos. You can save this file, share it, or import it on another device.
Plan export: Bed plans can be exported via the Save / Load controls.
Soft delete & trash: Deleted journal entries are kept in a Trash drawer so you can restore them. Use "Purge" to delete permanently.
Full reset: To remove all LOAM data from your device, clear the app's storage in your browser settings (Settings → Apps → LOAM → Clear storage on Android, or Site Settings → loam.vitaimaging.com → Clear data in your browser).
7. Children's privacy
LOAM is rated for general audiences and is suitable for all ages. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children, and the app does not require any account creation or personal information.
8. Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top. Material changes (such as adding any kind of analytics or third-party data sharing) will be communicated in the app itself before they take effect.