Source & Verification Methodology
What "Source Checked" Means
When a directory record or factual claim is labeled "source checked," it means that at the time indicated, the claim was traced to an identifiable primary or authoritative source and found to be consistent with what that source reported.
Source checking is a point-in-time verification. It confirms that a particular claim matched a particular source on a particular date. It does not guarantee the underlying fact will remain true indefinitely. A farm's address, an agency's phone number, or a regulation's effective date can change after verification.
For directory records, "source checked" means the record was compared against the source identified in the listing. It does not mean every field was independently confirmed through a second channel. If a government database lists a farm at a given address, the directory reflects that listing. If the farm has since moved, the directory record is outdated, not fabricated.
Time-Sensitive Content
Event dates, regulatory deadlines, seasonal availability, pricing, and similar time-sensitive facts can change without notice from their originating source. Wholly Water Farms makes reasonable efforts to keep this content current but cannot guarantee real-time accuracy.
Where practical, time-sensitive content includes a "last checked" or "as of" date. Readers should verify critical dates, prices, and regulatory requirements directly with the responsible authority before acting on them.
Historical and Public-Domain Material
Historical content is published for its value in understanding Florida's agricultural heritage, land-use patterns, and institutional history. Historical sources are identified as historical.
Historical accuracy means faithfulness to the original source, not endorsement of historical practices. Agricultural methods, safety standards, and regulatory frameworks have changed. Historical growing instructions, pesticide recommendations, or food handling practices should not be followed as modern guidance unless confirmed by a current authority.
Public-domain materials are identified as such. Copyright status is determined to the extent practical but is not guaranteed. If you believe a copyright claim applies to material we have identified as public domain, please contact us through our Connect page.
Scientific and Farm Claims
Claims about plant biology, nutrition, growing performance, and agricultural science are sourced to the level of evidence available:
- Peer-reviewed research: Cited with publication details. Treated as the strongest available evidence for scientific claims.
- University extension guidance: Treated as authoritative for regional growing conditions, pest management, and food safety.
- Founder experience: Observations from Wholly Water Farms operations. Labeled as experience-based. Not presented as independently verified research data.
- Modeled or projected data: Estimates, forecasts, or calculations derived from assumptions. Labeled as models. Assumptions are stated where practical.
Wholly Water Farms does not present founder experience as peer-reviewed science. When the site describes what the farm has observed in its own operations, the language reflects that scope.
Verification Is Claim-Specific
Verification is not a blanket endorsement. Each verified claim specifies:
- What claim was checked.
- What source was used to check it.
- When it was checked.
- What it does not establish beyond the specific claim verified.
Verifying that a farm exists at a given address does not verify the farm's food safety practices. Verifying a regulation's text does not verify a business's compliance with it. Verifying a species identification does not verify a growing performance claim about that species.
For questions about how a specific claim was verified, contact us through our Connect page.