Vendors

Mick and Sue MacKenzie have been selling their plants and produce at the market almost from the very start of the OFM in 2001. Both of their backgrounds have been heavily orientated around plants. Sue works in the botany department of the university as a technician looking after all their glasshouse plants and Mick has his own gardening contracting business. Sue works for Mick as well for about 20 hours per week.

Mike set up in a butcher shop in Concord with his Dad when he was 17 and was fired up with lots of ideas. Eventually Mike bought the shop off his Dad.

In 1997 Boyd Brinsdon and his wife bought 5.7 hectares of arable land in Ripponvale Rd in Cromwell. Boyd's main career is with Contact Energy where he is the Head of Hydro Generation, however he has a love for the land and grows top, export quality cherries. In 2002 he planted out one hectare of the land in seven varieties of cherries for export.

There isn’t too much that Dawn and Graham Stewart don’t know about growing plants, drying fruit and making delicious condiments and jams.

A small, select range of absolutely delicious condiments and award-winning preserves using heirloom recipes.

Lian Redding & Fiona Collings have a small scale market garden in Purakaunui which is spray free. They grow to permaculture principles with a diverse range of colourful vegetables including heirloom varieties.

Mark and Lynley Hunter, along with their two children Lauren and Shawn, have been developing their BioGro certified lifestyle property for the past 20 years.

Steve Webber & partner Margelyn Guesta of Webbers Gourmet Chicken - a family run business for over 60 years, previously known as Dunedin Poultry. Steve started at the OFM with his father Ivan right back when the Market first started and has seen huge changes in the meat industry. One of which is that people tend to want smaller cuts of meat rather than the roasts that predominated back when he started out. Red meat has perhaps become less popular as people become more health conscious and choose to eat less fat.

“It’s more fun selling cheese than shearing sheep.” Bob Berry, founder of Oamaru-based Whitestone Cheese has no regrets about his move from one side of the farm fence to the other.