Otago Farmers Market founding vendor Ray Goddard (67), of Sawyers Bay, said he had sold vegetables at the ''incredible little market'' since its inception in March 2003.
Customers queued to buy from the dozen stalls, he said.
''It just went crazy.''
He had sold his vegetables at most market days. Exceptions were when he had a hip replacement and the first two weekends of this month when he was in Dunedin Hospital with a ''bug''.
On Saturday, his ''loyal'' customers wanted to know where he had been the past fortnight.
''In hospital. I've been crook,'' he told them.
Many of the nurses who cared for him were often his first customers at 6am, making their way home after a night shift.
Carrots, broccoli and potatoes were his best sellers but unfortunately purple potatoes, parsnips and carrots had failed to grow this season, he said.
The soil was too wet when planting and, later, too dry for the vegetables to develop.
''I'm too old for these extreme variations in climate,'' he joked.
He usually sold 400 bags of carrots in a few hours, he said.
''The public pay the price for freshness.''
Supermarkets bought vegetables from growers and then would often quadruple the retail price, he said.
''It makes your stomach turn.''
If consumers bought direct from the grower it ''short-circuited the whole system'' by cutting out three middlemen who marked up the price on vegetables, he said.
His wife Maureen Goddard worked hard in the paddocks but was ''too shy'' to sell at the market and wanted her husband to retire.
Although he doubted he would sell at the market for another 10 years, he had no plans to retire because he was enjoying growing and selling vegetables, he said.
''Its a pleasure, planting the seed and growing and supplying the customer vegetables and getting feedback on the taste and quality. It makes it all worthwhile. You get a sense of satisfaction and achievement.''
