For many families in Samoa, their humble plantation and vegetable garden are their only options to smoothen the impact of the rise in the cost of living.

That is how it is for Viva Faumuina Time from the village of Tanumalala. The mother-of-five runs a small roadside market and said that making a living on vegetables alone is what she does best. 

Speaking to the Samoa Observer on Friday, Mrs. Time said their vegetable gardens and her husband's plantation have been the main source of income for their family over the years.

“We have been doing this for quite some time,” Mrs. Time said. “We have five daughters who were all educated at Avele College and this was what paid for their school fees.

“Now that they are grown up with some having families of their own and are now also working, me and my husband are still continuing to work on our plantation and farm. 

“Not only to keep us healthy but also we don’t want to forget about our humble beginnings just because the children are now successful.”

According to Mrs. Time, her children have asked them to stop selling vegetables, but the couple has refused. She said they didn't want to stop the practice and their own children have also gone into backyard gardening and sell their produce to generate income. 

“Some of our children are now overseas working and have asked us to stop doing this. But we enjoy it because it has been the main source of income for our families over the years," she said. 

"This has put all of our five children to school. It paid for their school fees and everything they needed for school. The money we get from selling vegetables also helps us with our service not only to our church, and village but also extended family and one of the things I keep reminding my children of is that to never forget their humble beginnings.”

One of the main factors that push Mrs. Time to continue working on her vegetable garden is the increasing demand from market vendors in town, who they depend on to sell their produce in town.

“We have been supplying vegetables to different market vendors in town for quite some time. So that is one of the main reasons why we don’t want to stop. 

"I believe there is now a shortage of cabbages in town but we have plenty and you have just missed another vendor who stopped by to pick up cabbages from us to sell at her market."

Giving an indication of the prices they charge for their vegetables, Mrs. Time said they sell cabbage for $3 a bundle and they believe some of their wholesale partners divide the bundles and sell them for $4 each. 

“We don’t have any control over that. We are just a supplier and we always try to make sure we sell our vegetables at a very affordable price, given the high cost of living. 

“Even if there’s a shortage or high demand, the prices for our cabbages remain the same. We also have tomatoes, cucumbers, green pepper, spring onions, taro, banana, and some other stuff we grow in our own backyards.”

Mrs. Time used the opportunity to encourage more people to make good use of their land and resources, saying Samoans are blessed to have their own land. 

“We are blessed to have lands of our own where you are able to grow whatever you want, unlike other countries. It’s really important to work the land and make good use of it as they are gifts from God. We can’t just sit around and complain about the cost of living and not do anything about it. 

“We also need to stop relying on imported goods for food and to provide for our families. If you take care of your own backyard and work hard, the land will take care of you and your children.”