Case Study • Colburn Strategic Partners helps Jaswell’s Farm Redesign website Ahead of Milestone 125th Anniversary
Jaswell’s Farm, Smithfield, Rhode Island
Snapshot
In 2024, Colburn Strategic Partners was hired to update Jaswell’s farm brand strategy, redesign their website, and develop a cohesive visual identity to reflect its 125-year history while modernizing its brand for future growth. Through a refreshed brand strategy, visual Identity, website design, and new packaging and labeling, we helped Jaswell’s undergo a visual transformation that positioned them for continued growth and success.
Overview
Jaswell’s Farm, the oldest operating apple orchard in Smithfield, RI’s “Apple Valley,” has been in continuous operation since 1899. Started by Nicholas Jaswell after emigrating from Italy, the farm is now in its 125th year of business. Jaswell’s Farm has been recognized nationwide, featured on the Food Network, and ranked the 7th best pick-your-own apple orchard in the U.S. by USA Today in 2021.
The Goals
- Transform the farm’s visual identity from retro to “elevated rustic” while maintaining its deep roots in Smithfield’s “Apple Valley.”
- Design consistent, high-quality packaging and labeling to reflect the quality of their products.
- Emphasize the farm’s heritage with the new slogan, “Rooted in Family Tradition Since 1899.”
- Create clear brand guidelines to ensure uniformity across all touchpoints, from wholesale labels to their website and social media.
- Update their website with a focus on promoting online store sales and booking pick-your-own (PYO) experiences, while keeping the user experience simple and intuitive.
The Solution
- Brand Strategy: In collaboration with Jaswell’s leadership team, we identified their core business areas—PYO, wholesale, and a growing market and bakery. Their need for a cohesive, updated visual identity was clear.
- Visual Identity: Inspired by rustic farm signage and orchard photography, we developed a bold rust-red logo, complemented by muted tans, greens, and browns. The iconic vintage tractor became the centerpiece of the brand, representing the farm’s history. Multiple logo variations were created for different use-cases, including smaller designs for packaging and larger ones for store signage.
- Website: We built a new, easy-to-update website on the WordPress platform to replace their old hand-coded HTML site. The site was designed to highlight the farm’s online store and PYO booking system. Seasonal calls-to-action were integrated to shift focus between in-store visits, online orders, and bookings as needed.
- Packaging & Labeling: We designed new labels for their wholesale products, including apple cider and lemonade, with over 80,000 labels printed in the first run. The labels were crafted to be consistent with the new visual identity, with subtle design variations for different product lines. For premium products like gourmet apples, we used gold foil printing on product tags to elevate the look.
Agritourism • Food & Beverage • Agriculture
The Challenges
Jaswell’s Farm experienced a shift in operations due to the pandemic, with a rise in online orders and bookings. This required the new brand strategy to focus not only on PYO and wholesale but also on their renovated market storefront and bakery operations. A key challenge was ensuring the brand was applied consistently across all platforms, including merchandise, store signage, vehicle logos, product packaging, and digital assets. Another challenge was managing the scale of commercially printing over 80,000 labels across 6 different products while maintaining a cohesive look.
The Results
Over the course of three months, Jaswell’s Farm underwent a complete visual transformation. Their website now drives increased revenue through online sales and bookings, and their new brand identity is consistently reflected across all customer touchpoints—from store signage to product packaging. With a refreshed look and clear brand guidelines in place, Jaswell’s Farm is poised for continued success as they celebrate their 125th anniversary and beyond.
The Feedback
“It has been an incredible experience working with Colburn Strategic Partners to rebrand our business! As we approach our milestone 125th year, they perfectly realized our vision and delivered a brand strategy, visual identity, and website package that included everything we needed to rebrand. They handled everything from the conceptualization of the new brand identity, to the designs of our logo, packaging, store signage, and website. They genuinely care about their clients and were so responsive throughout the process. We’re so glad we worked with their team and we highly recommend Colburn Strategic Partners.“
Allison Molis, Owner of Jaswell’s Farm
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