Terms of Service

The service

The Root Cellar is a community site where members can publish and discuss practical notes on preparedness, homesteading, food preservation, water, storage, skills, and related topics. We provide the platform; members provide the content.

Accounts

You must provide accurate registration information and keep your credentials secure. You are responsible for activity under your account. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or our Community Guidelines.

Your content

You retain ownership of content you post. By posting, you grant The Root Cellar a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, display, distribute, and adapt that content solely to operate and promote the service.

You represent that you have the rights to post your content and that it does not infringe others’ rights or violate law. We may remove or restrict content that violates these Terms, our Community Guidelines, or applicable law, or that we reasonably believe is harmful to the community or the service.

Acceptable use

You may not post illegal content or use the site to plan or facilitate illegal activity; harass, threaten, dox, or exploit others; post malware, spam, or automated abuse; scrape the service in a way that burdens infrastructure; impersonate others; or attempt to access accounts or systems without authorization.

No professional advice

Content on The Root Cellar is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical, legal, financial, engineering, or professional advice. Food preservation, water treatment, first aid, electrical, structural, and similar topics can involve serious risk of injury, illness, or death if done incorrectly. You are solely responsible for verifying methods against authoritative sources and for your own safety. See the Safety Disclaimer.

Disclaimers and liability

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT CONTENT IS ACCURATE, COMPLETE, OR SAFE TO FOLLOW.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE ROOT CELLAR AND ITS OPERATORS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, OR GOODWILL. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM THE SERVICE WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS (US $100) OR THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE TWELVE MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM (IF ANY).

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless The Root Cellar and its operators from claims arising out of your content, your use of the service, or your violation of these Terms.

Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Courts in Riverside County, California, will have exclusive jurisdiction, except where prohibited by law. We may update these Terms; continued use after the effective date of changes constitutes acceptance.