Children’s activity partnerships became an invaluable part of the market experience. Booth space was made available to local artists and organizations that offered family-friendly programming, helping the market attract and engage more young families.
The Sequim Farmers & Artisans Market transforms a city square that remains relatively quiet six days a week into a vibrant gathering place for the community.
Over time, the market has evolved to create a balanced mix of vendors and serve the community in a more holistic way. While its early identity was largely centered on artists and makers, a focused effort to recruit more farmers helped attract consistent weekly visitors and strengthen the market’s role in supporting local food and agriculture.
Through strategic planning, the board identified community partnerships as an important opportunity for continued growth. Such growth that supports local producers, expands access to fresh food, offers educational opportunities and creates meaningful connections among residents, organizations and the broader community.
Overcoming Barriers to Collaboration
The board identified several barriers to strengthening community partnerships, including inconsistent communication, unclear expectations and the absence of a coordinated partnership strategy. Without a more intentional approach, relationships were often difficult to sustain or develop into meaningful, mutually beneficial collaborations.
Board members gather after a strategic planning retreat that helped clarify priorities, and identify new opportunities for the market’s continued growth .
Building Partnerships Through Consistent Storytelling
With these challenges identified, I developed communication tools to support a more intentional and sustainable partnership strategy. The first priority was establishing a consistent way to reach a growing audience of community partners.
I proposed a partner-focused newsletter that could be distributed at least monthly. At the time, the market’s newsletter efforts were not always consistent or structured for long-term use. We began by segmenting the existing contact list to identify partners and other community stakeholders who should receive this communication.
I then designed a newsletter concept that helped staff think about how to repurpose information gathered each week and adapt it for a distinct partner audience. The approach created a more reliable communication rhythm while giving partners a clearer understanding of market activities, opportunities for collaboration and the broader community impact of the organization.
The original newsletter was designed as a vertically scrolling email. For this case study, the layout has been divided into sections and arranged horizontally to better fit the website format.
Helping More Customers Access Local Food
Confusion about how SNAP benefits worked and why they were so important emerged as a recurring communication challenge. I produced an explainer video for the market’s website and social media channels that showed customers how to use their benefits while highlighting SNAP’s broader impact. Beyond improving access to fresh, locally produced food, the program brings additional spending power to vendors and strengthens the health of both the market and the wider community.
Turning Collaboration Into Community Value
The market now benefits from a growing network of partnerships that offer the community much more than a place to shop. A strengthened relationship with the City of Sequim helped secure faster, more reliable network infrastructure, giving vendors dependable point-of-sale connections during market hours. A new partnership with the Clallam County Master Gardeners expanded children’s programming and brought trusted, on-site gardening advice directly to customers. The SNAP explainer video also improved communication with the Washington State Department of Health, creating opportunities for future collaboration and helping the market reach more residents who could benefit from food-access programs.
“Just wanted to share a giant kudos and sincere appreciation for all the hard work you’re doing at the Sequim Farmers Market to connect with SNAP customers and share the benefits of SNAP Market Match. Our team here at DOH swooned at the first video that was shared and I was so excited to hear how much this family has continued to thrive, connect with the market, and utilize match incentives.”