Every Saturday, thousands of people flock to the Otago Farmers Market at the Dunedin Railway Station to buy their weekly produce, catch up with friends and soak up the atmosphere. Business reporter Sally Rae talks to those involved about what has made it so successful and looks at the benefits for the local economy.
When Kate Vercoe became general manager of the Otago Farmers Market Trust, she quickly realised how the market was ''owned'' by both the community and vendors.
That aspect of ownership was something that had subsequently kept ''coming home'' to her during her 16 months in the job, particularly as she reflected on why the market had been so successful.
''It has a life of its own in a way. It does seem to hold a place that's more than just where people go to buy their weekly produce.
''It represents something that's really good about our community,'' Ms Vercoe said.
Now 12 years old, the market was a social hub, a place for people to meet friends, socialise, eat brunch and listen to good music.
There was a connection of customers with vendors, the majority of who were the people who made or grew the produce or goods they were selling.
There was something about people being able to have a relationship with the growers and for their children ''to meet the people that grow the apples they like'', Ms Vercoe said.
But it was not just about the ''feel-good factor''; there were also some substantial, tangible benefits.
While acknowledging it was difficult to quantify both the economic and social benefits for the city, it was clear the dollar value was in the millions.
A gate count was done each year and, during peak times, there were 8000 visitors.
She gave the example that if 4000 people spent $40 at the market each week for 50 weeks, then that amounted to an $8 million annual spend.
While obviously that was not scientific, Ms Vercoe was confident the market was contributing at least that much to the economy.
But that was also just the sheer dollar spend and did not include such spin-offs as employing staff and maintaining growers who would otherwise ''just vanish''.
''We're down to a scant handful of growers in the region, down from much larger numbers,'' she said.
Where possible, ingredients were bought within the region and, with all those factors combined, the market was helping to build and support the region's economy, she said.
It was a community development kind of model with a real appreciation for what each side brought to it.
And whenever Dunedin was being promoted, the farmers market was part of that.
''The brand is so strong, it's just part of the fabric of life in Dunedin,'' she said.
While Ms Vercoe grew up in a farming community, there was less exposure to that now.
However, more people were wanting to know the journey of their food. Being able to trace what they were ''putting in their mouth'' was also part of the market's success.
The Otago Farmers Market Trust remained very clear about what the market represented and what its philosophies were, Ms Vercoe said.
It worked hard to keep 70% of stalls in primary produce, with 15% added value, like bread, cheese and chutneys, and 15% ready-to-eat.
''Primarily we're a farmers market,'' she said.
At this time of year, there were about 57 stallholders, which increased to 70 at peak time.
Many of the vendors did not sell anywhere other than at the market. The market had been, in many cases, an incubator of small businesses.
It was a great place to test products or something different and there were many success stories as a result of people being at the market, she said.
Another reason for its success was loyalty and that was both from vendors and the community.
Despite poor weather on some market days, vendors showed up week in and week out, coming from as far afield as Wanaka and South Otago.
But they would not do that if the customers did not come out, and they did come out, many buying their staple supplies for the week.
''We're tough down here,'' she said.
For out-of-town visitors, it was a place for people to come and meet some local colour and taste local fare.
While the likes of cruise ship visitors might not buy a lot, it all added to the ambience, she said.
Ms Vercoe's job was largely about relationship management. The trust had four staff but none were fulltime and she worked up to 30 hours a week.
A vendor review process was being done at the moment and Ms Vercoe was visiting the vendors at their properties.
''It's kind of checking they are who they say they are. We've got a recognisable brand. We want to be really confident the brand is as pure as we say it is,'' she said.
There was also a strategic side to the position, working with the board and trustees.
With a hospitality and education background, the role of general manager was her ''dream job''.
On market day, her role was about site management and, being contained by its size, it was ''down to an inch here and there - it's a big jigsaw'', she said.
She acknowledged the establishment of the market was a ''great leap of faith'' by a handful of people.
Since then, hundreds and hundreds of hours of voluntary work had gone into running it.
It was important to have a strategic focus and the trust, which worked ''incredibly hard'', was very good at that.
As with any business, there were threats. Without produce being grown, farmers markets would not exist. It was also about staying true to its principles and ''riding the wave of sometimes not being that popular because we're not prepared to expand''.
Sharyn Crawford, who has been a trustee for two and-a-half years, had been a customer at the market since its inception.
With a passion for local food, along with the wider issue of community sustainability and a desire for growers to get a fair price for what they produced, it was an opportunity to give something back to the community, she said.
She saw huge potential for the market, on many levels, including how it could work with other stakeholders and in the community, particularly around education.
Mrs Crawford's day job working for a not-for-profit organisation brought skills involved with knowing what it took to run such an organisation or trust, coupled with an understanding of governance and strategic thinking.
A big focus for her had been the need to think strategically and consider what the market was going to look like in the future, what factors the trust needed to think about and how to respond to those.
While it was hard to know what the economic impact of the market was, people were doing more of their weekly shop at the market, and the economic benefits to the city were significant, she said.
Mrs Crawford also loved how it had become a tourist attraction - ''people see it as the thing to do when they come to Dunedin'' - and how attending had become a ritual for many people.
People needed to understand that quality of life was underpinned by what they were eating.
''Nutrition is everything,'' she said.
