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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLTAC_2021_proposal Jefferson County Farmers Markets Celebrating 28 Years in 2020 PT Saturday Market Uptown, Tyler St Online Farmers Market Jcfmarkets.org Chimacum Farmers Market Sundays, Chimacum Corner Apr-Oct 9am – 2pm Nov-Dec 10am – 2pm Order Tues-Thurs for Sat. June- Oct, 10am-2pm February 11, 2021 Dear Jefferson County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, Greetings! Thank you LTAC board members for your support of the Chimacum Farmers Market during the extraordinary year of 2020. Together, we improved the visibility of our Chimacum Farmers Market, as well as seeing a healthy uptick of folks taking advantage of our Food Access programs there. You may be aware that the Farmers Market Association experienced a change in leadership in mid-October, and, in our transition, the deadline to apply for 2021 LTAC funding slipped through the cracks. If Funds are prospectively still available, I would very much appreciate the opportunity to have our marketing plan considered for 2021 funding. On behalf of the Jefferson County Farmers Market Association, I respectfully request your assistance growing our farmers market and establishing Jefferson County as a destination for great food and farming regionally! In light of Covid-19, our new Marketing plan makes a strong use of video, photo, and audio media sharing, tools that travel well on social media platforms, and also have the ability to garner notice across varied digital/web platforms over consecutive years. We’re also cross promoting with area businesses, for example, with multiple features in the Rose Theatre’s newsletter, in the Chamber Spotlight, as a ‘guest column’ in The Food Coop’s news. And, we’re currently in conversation with Cascade Public Media to prospectively have short video “commercials” highlighting Chimacum Market food producers, and the amazing abundance of Jefferson County featured regionally via KCTS, at a time when regional travel is more appropriate. Our marketing adaptations aim to create a successful farmers market season, and allow increased control in timing our various outreach to align with health guidance surrounding travelling, or “staying home.” Our previous marketing and farmers market programs have been successful. We look forward to building on that with new partnerships and outreach points to bring visitors back to the farmers market & Jefferson County. These promotions have been, and continue to be possible, only through your support. Thank you! We plan to promote the Chimacum Farmers Market by: • Print and circulate 6,500 Postcards all across Jefferson County, including direct to lodging accommodations, businesses, and visitor centers. • An ad in the Waterside Magazine. • Boosted Facebook and Instagram posts weekly targeting people in the Olympic • Peninsula and greater Seattle area. We had great success with these posts during 2019 and 2020 seasons; we will continue focusing here. • Co-promotion via monthly ads in The Leader, PDN, the Chamber Map, and in the Visitor Guide. • Taking advantage of KPTZ’s Expanded PSA Program, with 15 scheduled spots for announcements over the Market Season. • Prospectively having 60-90 Market Producer videos (generated through previous support of LTAC) aired on regional TV via Cascade Public Media. • Offering live music at Chimacum Market, in the latter part of the season (subject to Covid-19 developments). Annually, JCFM prints and distributes spring and summer postcards that promote our farmers markets. These are distributed through 6,500 Leader newspapers as well as around Port Townsend and to a handful of locations in Jefferson County. Our postcards are full color featuring beautiful images of our farmers markets. The card will include our market dates, locations and LTAC as a market sponsor. I need a logo from you to list LTAC as a sponsor. The Waterside Magazine is in the hands of some 100,000 readers on Washington State as well as British Columbia ferries during the entire farmers market season. We will place a half page ad in The Waterside Magazine attracting people from all over the state and beyond to Jefferson County. Facebook and Instagram offer an inexpensive way to stay in contact with visitors to our farmers markets and the county. We will use boosted Facebook and Instagram posts weekly May through October to keep the Chimacum Farmers Market in the minds of people in our greater geographic region. While the market opens in June, we will start social media promotions in May to get people excited about our season opening. In 2019, we were told by many shoppers from Kitsap County and the Seattle area that they heard about the farmers market through Facebook and Instagram. Several of these shoppers became repeat market attendees who visited other area businesses and stayed at local lodging. This information was gathered by the Market Manager through conversations with shoppers at the market information booth and through monthly dot surveys. Social media posts will promote local producers and makers, and connect to other food and farm related events in Jefferson County. In aligning to safety guidance for Farmers Markets during Covid-19, we have eliminated our kids POP Club, Chef Demos, and live music for the time being. We have hopes that by the latter portion of Market-season, that we may be able to bring live music back. I have included a line item request in support of that optimistic idea. The Markets are committed to offering a $100 stipend to musicians who perform at our farmers markets. LTAC’s previous support has helped us offer $100 a market day for live music, thus attracting high-quality live music to the Chimacum Farmers Market this year because we offer a stipend. Before being able to offer a stipend we had occasional music and the quality was not as high. Live music really transforms the frames market into a place of celebration for locals and visitors alike. The proposed LTAC investments will have a long-term benefit for the Chimacum Farmers Market as well as local lodging establishments. These promotions will continue to distinguish Jefferson County as a place to visit for our rich farm and food culture. We will evaluate the benefits of these promotions through monthly dot surveys as well as through conversations with market shoppers. Dot surveys will pose questions to market shoppers, which they will answer by placing dot stickers on flip chart paper in columns corresponding to provided responses. Using this method, we will efficiently gather a representative sample showing how people learned about and found the Chimacum Farmers Market as well as how far they traveled to market. In the case that folks traveled from out of the county, we will ask them about lodging while in county. We will also take an attendance count at the Chimacum Farmers Market at least once a month. Our findings from this data collection will be shared with LTAC in our quarterly reports. Our vibrant local food and farms are something to celebrate. Your support strengthens our ability to highlight the Chimacum Farmers Market. In turn, these promotions identify our county as a place to visit. Thank you for your consideration of JCFM’s LTAC grant request for the Chimacum Farmers Market. Contact me with your questions. With appreciation, Deirdre Morrison Jefferson County Farmers Market Manager info@jcfmarkets.org 360-379-9098 Jefferson County Farmers Markets Celebrating 28 Years in 2020 PT Saturday Market Uptown, Tyler St Apr-Oct 9am – 2pm Nov-Dec 10am – 2pm PT Wednesday Market Haines Place Park and Ride June- Sept, 11am-3pm Chimacum Farmers Market Sundays, Chimacum Corner June- Oct, 10am-2pm 4