The weekend hui, to be held from July 18-20 at Waihola, aims to bring together established and aspiring market gardeners for fun, information and community building.
Mr McCafferty runs his own market garden business "during school hours" while juggling a young family. He grows salad crops and specialty crops for restaurants and cafes.
With only a small number of market gardeners operating in the greater Dunedin area, he is keen to encourage more people to give it a go.
"We don’t have enough market gardeners in the area, and demand for local produce is growing, so it is worth looking into," he said.
"The hui is for both established commercial growers and aspiring growers to get together and share in the challenges and successes of growing for our communities.
"This can be difficult mahi, but it is rewarding.
"So let’s come together to figure out how to make growing easier and more productive."
Mr McCafferty said, when he was starting out as a grower 10 years ago, he would have been excited to have the opportunity to spend time with others in the field and ask questions.
The hui will be catered and accommodation will be provided on-site at the Christian Youth Camp site in Waihola.
Its programme will include growers talking honestly about their businesses, discussions on different models of production and distribution, yoga to help with the work, panel discussions with chefs, grocers and buyers, and a panel discussion of growers producing at different scales.
Contributing speakers will include Jenny Lux, of Lux Organics in Rotorua, who is also a yoga instructor and Angela Clifford, from Eat New Zealand.
Mr McCafferty said the hui would focus on growing in Otago, but would be open to all.
The hui is jointly presented by Otago Organics with help from Village Agrarians, Good Food Dunedin and Otago Regional Economic Development.
For more information, email secretary.otagoorganics@gmail.com, or Pleasantriverproduce@gmail.com
Tickets are available via the link https://events.humanitix.com/local-growers-hui
