The Washington State Farmers Market Association (WSFMA) wishes to recruit a Seattle/King County-based Fresh Bucks Coordinator to implement the 2015 Seattle/King County Fresh Bucks Project. The contractor will coordinate all aspects of the project and report directly to the WSFMA Food Access Manager. Part of the work requires close communication and accountability to various project partners including the Fresh Bucks Manager in Seattle’s Office of Sustainability and Environment (CoS OSE), the project steering committee, as well as the Farmers Market Access Partnership (FMAP). The Fresh Bucks Coordinator is funded through a contract with the City of Seattle.

Fresh Bucks is a food access program currently operating at 21 locations (16 farmers markets and five farm stands) in the Seattle area. The program provides low-income shoppers with extra buying power by matching SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as “food stamps”) dollars with a $2-for-$2 match up to $10 to spend on fresh, local fruits and vegetables. Operating officially since 2012, the Seattle Fresh Bucks program partners with a network of farmers markets operating similar programs around the state.

We are currently seeking a talented individual to work with all farmers markets and participating farm stands in Seattle, and to continue to grow the Fresh Bucks Incentive Program to a few designated farmers markets in other parts of King County in 2015. The position is currently funded to operate on a part-time basis. Contingent upon additional funding, this position could expand to full-time to include more markets in King County.

Scope of Work: The Seattle/King County Fresh Bucks Coordinator will act as the central liaison among participating Seattle/King County farmers markets and farm stands, and will work closely with the City of Seattle and partner organizations. The coordinator will be responsible for providing technical assistance; training and collaborative opportunities as needed for the markets; web and print-based information about the project; proper data collection from the markets; participation in evaluation planning; identifying and helping to execute media opportunities; and participating in long-term sustainability efforts.

Responsibilities:

The coordinator will ensure all phases of the Seattle/King County farmers market incentive program are being implemented, respond to questions from Seattle/King County markets, patrons and social service providers, help develop materials, manage data and develop project reports, per the agreed upon timeline. The services to be provided include, but are not limited to:

• Support participating farmers markets and farm stands during the application and implementation phase. This includes guidance for veteran markets, as well as the onboarding of additional locations as is seen fit within the program scope. The support can include technical assistance, meetings, coaching, and outreach to supportive community organizations and agencies that work with low-income communities. The support will be tailored to the needs of the participating organizations to assure the highest level of success for all markets.
• Peer Networking: The consultant will participate in data collection and meeting opportunities as provided by the WSFMA Food Access Manager and the Washington Farmers Market Access Partnership.
• Resource Retention: Archival of project materials will be accomplished in a format that can be easily accessed and built upon for future years of the Seattle/King County Fresh Bucks program. An ongoing list of all contacts, partners, resources, and strategies will be compiled.
• Fresh Bucks Web Presence: Work with WSFMA and City of Seattle to ensure website content is current.
• Project Visibility: The coordinator will provide input to developing materials and work with participating markets to ensure they have consistent access to all materials and are using them in their marketing and outreach programs.
  • Fresh Bucks Coordinator will work with markets and key community partners to make sure there is general awareness about the scope of the project and how it works. This could include such activities as attending regional WIC clinic meetings, job placement agencies, community events, etc, and distributing project materials.
  • Data Collection: The Fresh Bucks Coordinator will update the existing Fresh Bucks data collection form to ensure that it continues to be a useful and feasible tool for markets and farm stands to assess programming to ensure compliance with any potential grant requirements. The Fresh Bucks Coordinator will ensure all markets are collecting data using agreed upon protocols and will aggregate data from participating locations on an agreed upon schedule to provide data presentation to project evaluators, the City of Seattle, and the WSFMA Food Access Manager. If an app is developed for data collection, this will include initial training of market managers in use of app.
  • Sustainability Planning: The City of Seattle will be leading the process of evaluating program sustainability, including funding and partner roles. The Fresh Bucks Coordinator will participate in this process, and will help with logistic support if needed.
  • Budget Management: The Fresh Bucks Coordinator is expected to manage project expenses per the approved WSFMA contract budget. The Coordinator will also work with the City of Seattle and the WSFMA Food Access Manager should the budget require amendment.
  • Final Project Report: The Fresh Bucks Coordinator will prepare a final project report to the City of Seattle and WSFMA. Elements of this report may also be used to report to external project funders, and the Coordinator should ensure that all data is formatted in such a manner that it is easily accessible and can be called upon quickly.

Ideal Qualifications:

• Effective communication skills. Ability to adapt written and spoken communications to fit the audience’s needs in a friendly, collaborative style. History of working with people from many different kinds of backgrounds. Experience writing clear and concise project reports to funders and sponsors.
• Demonstrated ability to respond nimbly and flexibly to unexpected, new situations and information.
• Strong experience working with multiple decision-makers in a collaborative peer group setting with shared leadership.
• A strong background in project management and ability to effectively identify challenges and opportunities and create inspired solutions within the time and funding constraints of a project.
• Collaborative working style that engages others to help find solutions and implement activities.
• A mind for data-management; a keen attention to detail that allows for precise data collection and compilation
• An organizational superhero—there are many components of this project that need to come together in concert such that they can be repeated and learned from in years to come.
• Ability to respond flexibly as needed to get the job done!
• Ability to travel as needed to attend meetings and visit participating markets in Seattle & King County.

Desired Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience working with web designers to create and implement effective, user friendly, attractive content and manage updates in a timely manner.
• Experience working with the media, writing press releases, developing and implementing a media campaign including special events.
• Experience developing fundraising campaigns and grant writing.
• Knowledge and experience with farmers markets and food access issues.

Reporting: This role reports to the WSFMA Food Access Manager.

Payment for Services: Given the scope and requirements of the Seattle/King County Fresh Bucks program, the Fresh Bucks Coordinator will be compensated for services performed under this contract at a rate of $25/hour, initially on a part-time basis, and will include a small budget for local travel reimbursement. The City of Seattle is participating in a grant application that, if awarded, would increase funding for this position to expand the number of hours and scope.

Timeline: This work begins February 1, 2015, and concludes December 31, 2015 (contract may be extended contingent on continued funding and scope).