Otago Farmers Market is a weekly, year-round farmers' market held at the Dunedin railway station in Dunedin, New Zealand. Produce available at the market includes local cheese, eggs, meat and fish, alcohol, flowers, fruit and vegetables and baked goods. The market is a tourist attraction as well as a shopping experience. It has won a number of awards, and led to several cookbooks.
| Otago Farmers Market | |
|---|---|
 Stalls in the carpark area of the railway station | |
| Begins | 8 am to 12.30 pm Saturdays |
| Frequency | Weekly |
| Venue | Dunedin railway station, northern carpark |
| Location | Dunedin |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Inaugurated | March 2003 |
| Organised by | Otago Farmers Market Trust |
| Website | https://otagofarmersmarket.org.nz/ |
History
editThe market was established in 2003, using seed funding from Dunedin City Council and Otago Community Trust.[1][2] It is run by a trust, the Otago Farmers Market Trust, and is part of the Farmers Market New Zealand network.[3] The market operates in the northern carpark of the Dunedin railway station, running on Saturday mornings throughout the year, except for an annual Christmas market which may be a different day of the week.[4][5] The market began with 23 producers, and by 2008 had reached its current size, around 70 stallholders, selling goods including fruit, vegetables, meat products, eggs, baked goods, flowers and cheese.[6][7][8][9] Seventy per cent of the stalls are primary producers, with the remaining 30% split evenly between added-value goods (for example cheese, jams, sauces), and ready-to-eat food.[7] In 2017, the market manager estimated approximately 5,000 to 8,000 people visit each week.[7] In summertime the market is popular with cruise ship visitors, and is a popular busking venue.[10][11] Famous visitors to the market include Pink, who donated $20 to a busker, and Nadia Reid, who used to busk at the market.[12][13]
In 2017 local peanut butter brand Bay Rd Peanut Butter was launched at market.[14] In 2020 former employees of Cadbury's, whose carpark is used for parking during the market, decided to raise funds for mental health from "gold coin" ($1 and $2 coin) donations at the carpark, raising over $100,000 for charities Gumboot Friday and Life Matters by 2025.[15]
In 2022 the market trust expressed concern over decreasing numbers of growers, and the need for succession planning, launching an initiative called 'Grow the growers'.[3][16] The trust has developed a co-operative vendor model to allow smaller vendors to sell at the market even if they don't produce enough individually for a stall.[7] In 2023 the market celebrated its 20 year anniversary by holding a "long lunch", with around eighty people seated at a single table spread down the railway station platform.[17][18][19]
Impact
editIn 2005 the Otago Farmers Market Trust received an award in the Heritage and Environment section of the Trustpower Dunedin Community Awards.[1] The market has won the People's Choice award at the Outstanding NZ Food Awards in 2017,[20] 2019,[21] 2020,[22] 2023,[23] and 2025.[24][6] In 2007 a cookbook featuring recipes contributed by stallholders was published, Homegrown: the Star's Otago Farmers Market cookbook (2007),[25] and local chef Alison Lambert produced seasonal recipe books featuring produce from the market in 2010.[26]
The market has been the subject of several research studies, including studies on the willingness of people to buy local food,[27] the backgrounds of shoppers,[28] and the culture and politics of "alternative food networks".[29] A book chapter on local food production and consumption patterns used the Otago Farmers Market as a case study.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c Mitchell, Richard; Scott, David (2008). "Farmers' Markets as Events for Local Cultural Consumption: The Otago Farmers' Market (Dunedin, New Zealand) Explored". Food and Wine Festivals and Events Around the World: Development, Management and Markets. Butterworth-Heinemann. pp. 286–299. doi:10.1016/B978-0-7506-8380-7.00017-8.
- ^ "Otago King's Birthday honours 2025". Otago Daily Times Online News. Otago Daily Times. 2 June 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ a b Sally Rae (22 February 2022). "Otago Farmers Market looks to the future with succession planning". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ Priestley, Laine (23 December 2024). "'Great time' at Christmas farmers market". Otago Daily Times Online News. Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ "The Best Farmers Markets in New Zealand for Produce, Cheese and More in 2023". www.broadsheet.com.au. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ a b Esha (24 July 2024). "8 great: Farmers markets in NZ". Motorhomes, Caravans & Destinations NZ. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ a b c d Smith, Charmian (10 January 2017). "Farmers' markets tick foodies' boxes". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ Dunedin, Enterprise. "Otago Farmers Market, Ōtepoti – Dunedin New Zealand official website". DunedinNZ official website. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ Santamaria, Alexia (13 March 2023). "The best farmers' markets around New Zealand". www.stuff.co.nz. Stuff news. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ "No downtime for farmers market stalls". Otago Daily Times Online News. Otago Daily Times. 31 December 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ Houseman, Molly (2 August 2021). "Busker spreading joy of music at farmers market". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
- ^ "'Manchester's got nothing on Dunedin': Musician Nadia Reid's guide to her hometown". NZ Herald. 7 December 2025. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
- ^ David Loughrey (3 September 2018). "Meet the Kiwi busker who earned $20 from Pink". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
- ^ Rae, Sally (2 April 2025). "A toast to peanut butter's 1000th batch". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ "Former Cadbury workers raise $100k for mental health". Otago Daily Times Online News. Otago Daily Times. 12 April 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ "Otago Farmers Market looks to future". Otago Daily Times Online News. Otago Daily Times. 16 February 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ Francks, S (2 March 2023). "Otago Farmers Market Celebrate 20 Years". Supermarket News. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ "Birthday marked with Long Lunch". Otago Daily Times Online News. Otago Daily Times. 27 March 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ "Celebrating 20 years with a long lunch". Otago Daily Times Online News. Otago Daily Times. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ "Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards 2017 Winners". Outstanding Food Producer Awards. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ "Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards 2019 Winners". Outstanding Food Producer Awards. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ "2020 Winners". Outstanding Food Producer Awards. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ "Special Awards 2023". Outstanding Food Producer Awards. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ "Champions 2025". Outstanding Food Producer Awards. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ Munro, Bruce; Frampton, Louise; Speirs, Helen; Lee, Gary; Aoraki Polytechnic. School of Photography (2007). Homegrown : the Star's Otago Farmers Market cookbook. Dunedin: Allied Press. ISBN 9780473127411.
- ^ Lambert, Alison (2010). Otago Farmers Market cook book. Spring. Dunedin: Otago Farmers Market. OCLC 1305358827.
- ^ Nathan Berg; Kate L. Preston (September 2017). "Willingness to pay for local food?: Consumer preferences and shopping behavior at Otago Farmers Market". Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice. 103: 343–361. doi:10.1016/J.TRA.2017.07.001. ISSN 0965-8564. Wikidata Q137320303.
- ^ McNeill, Lisa; Hale, Olivia (May 2016). "Who Shops at Local Farmers' Markets? Committed Loyals, Experiencers and Produce-Orientated Consumers". Australasian Marketing Journal. 24 (2): 135–140. doi:10.1016/j.ausmj.2016.01.003. ISSN 1441-3582.
- ^ Parkins, Wendy; Craig, Geoffrey (29 April 2015) [2009]. "Culture and the Politics of Alternative Food Networks". Food, Culture & Society. 12: 77–103. doi:10.2752/155280109X368679.