On one side is Broadview Produce owner Gemma Thian, of Southbridge in Canterbury, who has set up outside the market after being declined a stall.
On the other side is Otago Farmers Market general manager Michele Driscoll, who has accused the Canterbury farming family of "sour grapes" and "profiting off our coat-tails".
Mrs Thian hit back, saying they were doing nothing wrong and accusing the market of being "cliquey".
She and her family had been coming to Dunedin to sell their produce on Saturday mornings since friends from Oamaru had to liquidate their certified organic farming business six months ago.
Mrs Thian and her husband were then asked to take over the stall.
"That’s just what you do in the farming business, I suppose. We often help each other out."
After filling in on a temporary basis, they decided to apply for a permanent spot, but were declined.
"They said we don’t offer anything that they can’t get locally — we responded with an appeal and said, ‘Look, you only have spray-free veges, you don’t have certified organic veges. It’s actually completely different’.
"They came back and said ‘No, definitely not’."
The Thian’s farm is run by Mrs Thian, her husband, his parents, and local children from Southbridge, who help out after school.
She said they had assured the Oamaru farmers’ customers they would provide certified organic produce to Dunedin, so they decided to get a mobile licence and operate in Anzac Ave — outside the market gates.
In its newsletter, the Otago Farmers Market then accused them of "profiting off our coat-tails outside".
"Remember, that only all our authenticated, verified Otago Farmers Market vendors are all WITHIN our gates," it read.
Last Saturday, Mrs Thian said someone, "possibly from inside the gates", reported them to the council during the market, accusing them of not having the right licence to operate on the roadside.
The council came along, checked, gave them the all clear and moved on, she said.
"It’s cliquey inside those gates."
In response, Ms Driscoll said the Thians were "quite disrespectful setting up outside the gate", adding she "certainly had no idea" who reported the Canterbury farmers to the council.
The Thians are not the first Canterbury produce sellers to get off-side with the Otago Farmers Market.
In 2003, Waimate egg farmer Colin Cairns was served a trespass notice after he kept turning up to the market despite being given the boot.
