Crucianomics: Shammalay “The $2 Lady” Keeps Things Good And Fresh

You’ve seen Shammalay (pronounced Sha-ma-lah) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays selling her cucumbers, okras, peppers, sorrel and star fruit–or whatever crops are in season–along the Queen Mary Highway, a little past the Lower Love gas station heading west. But, there’s much more to this friendly roadside vendor.

When you drive up to Shammalay’s modest produce stand– just a single folding table with a battery-operated scale off to one side–you’ll find her casually dressed, maybe sitting on a makeshift chair–a blue ice chest–prepping and arranging her goods in order to get them ready for her customers.

This local lady loves what she does and she’s been doing it for a long time.

“This is my daily life. I love planting; I love farming,” Shammalay said, noting that she has operated her produce stand in the same location since 2000.

While she leases a little over an acre of land from the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture to grow her crops, Shammalay laments the state of the agriculture industry in the territory.

Fresh cucumbers, okras, peppers, sorrel…oh my!

“I’d just like to have who ever could give a little more help in preparing the land and help with agriculture would be better for us here in the VI,” she said.

She then fondly reminisced on the days when Cyril E. King was governor, noting that agriculture was booming back then.

“In the year of Cyril King, we had a farm land in Grove Place and I was a part of it, way in the 70s, like ’75-’76, and I was a part of it,” she said. “It was interesting to see how we grew those lovely yams, carrots, okra and cucumbers, so I just instilled that in my brain and it’s always been there.”

And, this farmer knows what she’s talking about because, you see, farming has always been in her blood.

“As a girl growing up, my father used to plant stuff at home and I love planting,” she said. “I see him do it and I follow behind him.”

Looking over Shammalay’s colorful spread of produce neatly arranged on the table, let me tell you, hers had to have been the freshest sorrel I’ve seen…ever.

“It’s early in season, but it’s good,” she said. “Everybody is saying it’s very early, but I guess when you plant it grows, so it’s ready.”

And speaking of being ready, it didn’t take long before customers were ready to get their goods and cars began pulling up.

One gentleman purchased five bags of peppers–a cost that amounted to $10. And, in a show of island-style customer service, the friendly vendor gave the man a bonus.

“Thank you sir for purchasing my peppers, take an extra one for spending $10 with me today,” Shammalay said, much to the gentleman’s delight.

Turning back to me, she explained the cost of her goods, “Everybody knows me as the $2 lady,” she laughed.

There must be something about Shammalay’s peppers, though, because only a few minutes later another carload of people pulled up. One lady in that group said they were heading west, but when she saw the bags of fresh peppers at Shammalay’s stand, she made a U-turn.

“I came back just for those peppers right there,” the customer said, point to the pile of individually bagged peppers on the table.

The sometimes soft-spoken Shammalay takes these accolades in stride.

“It’s nice. People do stop by and sometimes I feel a little less because sometimes I don’t have enough because they buy the cucumbers so fast,” she laughed. “Sometimes, I have to make a double trip [to the farm] and it’s hot in the sun. It’s a nice feeling to have [to go and get more].”

But while she is the face of the produce stand, Shammalay was quick to point out the weekly production of her popular roadside business is a family affair.

Delicious star fruit (Carambola) sold at Shammalay’s produce stand in Lower Love.

“My daughter comes along and helps [at the stand], my son helps me in the farm to collect some of the stuff, and my nephew,” she explained.

When asked if she hopes to expand her business one day, the pleasant lady said she is content with where she is for now.

“Every time I get crops, I come out here and sell and everybody knows this is the area where I’ll be,” she said. “If I have more, it will be better to expand, but for right now, this is what I’m doing.”

And, as far as her making a good living on the island by selling her crops, the St. Croix native said, “If you could do more, the more would be better. But…right now, I’ll say I give thanks.”

She said she does not “use a lot of chemical spray” on her crops because it’s not something she “believes” in. Rather, “I try to go the more organic I could.”

But, growing crops without the use of harsh pesticides comes with a price.

“I use the organic spray Neem, but next thing you know, you spray today and go by and you see the leaves look like string, like a net,” she explained of pests ravishing mostly her cucumber crops.

She continued: “The next day you go by, you see the cucumbers are just covered with these green worms, and they just eat the food and eat the leaves, and your crop gone in. If you don’t use high chemicals, I don’t think you’re going to get rid of it.”

Shammalay, owner/operator of produce stand in Lower Love.

This familiar scenario has resulted in many of Shammalay’s cucumber crops being destroyed, causing her to sometimes charge customers $2.50 for the hard-to-grow vegetable.

However, Shammalay is not discouraged and understands battling insects is a normal part of her job.

“You can’t stop the butterflies and the insects from coming out at certain times,” she said.

And you can’t stop Shammalay, either. If you miss her during the week at her post in Lower Love, you’ll find her, and those fresh bags of peppers, at the Le Raine fish and farmer’s market on Saturday mornings.

Crucianomics is a weekly series on VI Consortium that highlights everyday Crucians doing out-of-the-box, entrepreneurial ‘tings’.