When Did We Start Paying for Limes?

"We never had much money, but we always had food."-The Grey-Haired Gardener

                                                                There's always something to harvest from the garden; a handful of this, two or three of that.... Photo: Shamela Rambadan

The other day, I found myself looking at the price of limes and shaking my head.

It got me thinking about how much life has changed.

Growing up in a farming family in a rural community, it would have been almost unthinkable to pay for certain things. Bandhania (chadon beni), limes, dry coconuts, dasheen bush, green figs, cow's milk—these were simply things we had. They grew in our yard, a neighbour's yard, or belonged to a nearby relative.

We never had much money, but we always had food.

We were "garden people."

  My squash ready to harvest         Photo : Shamela Rambadan

 Some fresh herbs from the garden. These can be easily grown in pots

Our family reared cows, goats, sheep, ducks, chickens, and turkeys. We had eggs, milk, meat, and homegrown produce. Ma even made dahee (yogurt) from fresh cow's milk. We grew rice and sugar cane, and there always seemed to be something growing somewhere in the yard.

  First picking: A handful of seime   

Life wasn't easy, though.

Before school, we often had chores waiting for us. One of them was taking the sheep and goats out to pasture. In the evening, we brought them back to their pens. There were animals to feed, crops to tend, and weeds to pull. Looking back, I realize that the food on our table came from a great deal of hard work.

But that hard work gave us something many families are now struggling to afford—food security.

Ma baked bread regularly, and when guava was in season, she made guava jam for our sandwiches. That jam lasted us for months, sometimes nearly the entire year. There was no refrigeration, no fancy equipment, just knowledge, experience, and a determination to make the most of what we had.

Nothing went to waste.

The manure from the animal pens went into the garden. Kitchen scraps fed animals or returned to the soil. Long before terms like "organic gardening" and "sustainability" became popular, many farming families were already practicing them out of necessity.

 Freshly picked ochroes  from the garden        Photo: Shamela Rambadan

I also remember how connected our community was.

If Ma was cooking and ran short of something, she would send one of us to a neighbour or nearby relative.

"Go and get a few limes."

"See if they have a dry coconut."

"Ask Tanty(Auntie) for a hand of green fig."

Nobody thought twice about it. Those items were plentiful, and sharing was simply what people did.

Today, things are very different.

Many of the foods that were once freely exchanged between neighbours are now purchased. We routinely pay for limes, bandhania, green figs, coconuts, and countless other items that previous generations often grew themselves.

 Chadon Beni (Bandhania)  growing  in a pot in the garden   Photo : Shamela Rambadan

I am reminded of a line from a calypso by Lord Relator:

"A lime long time was ole talk and fun... but now a lime is twenty-five cents for one."

At the time, that line made people laugh. Today, it feels almost prophetic. Depending on the season, a single lime can cost several dollars.

Imagine telling our parents or grandparents that one day people would be paying $5 for a lime.

They probably would have laughed.

Yet here we are.

This is one of the reasons I believe gardening is just as important today as it was back then.

Yes, gardening provides fresh, nutritious food. Yes, it gets us outdoors and keeps us active. But it also helps reduce grocery bills at a time when food prices continue to rise.

Every lime picked from your tree is one less lime you have to buy.

Every bunch of chadon beni harvested from your garden is money saved.

Every tomato, pimento pepper, chive, or lettuce harvested at home puts a little less strain on your wallet.

And when the harvest is abundant, don't let it go to waste.

Freeze it. Dry it. Preserve it.

And if you can, share it.

A sense of pride: planting pineapples for the first time and harvesting my first fruit!

After all, that may be the biggest lesson I learned growing up in a farming family. A garden isn't just about growing food. It's about creating abundance—enough for your household and sometimes enough for someone else too.

Did you grow up in a home where food came from the backyard, a neighbour, or a family farm? What are the things you remember that your family grew, made, or shared?

I would love to hear your stories. Share them in the comments — because every garden has a story, and every generation has something valuable to teach the next.

And if this story brought back memories of a time when food was grown, shared, and appreciated, consider planting something of your own. A few herbs, a lime tree, a pepper plant, or a small backyard garden can be the beginning of something meaningful.

Times have changed.

But a garden still provides food.

A garden still saves money.

As I look at today's food prices, I am often reminded of how much has changed. The things we once took for granted are now the things we pay dearly for.

That is why I believe gardening remains just as important today as it was then.

And perhaps now, more than ever, a garden is one of the smartest investments we can make.

Happy Gardening!

Grey hair, green thumb, garden savvy.
thegreyhairedgardener.blogspot.com