More and more people are avoiding shopping lines and opting to purchase their fresh fruits and vegetables from roadside stalls and trucks.

Despite the bagged salads, range of vegetables and oodles of frozen vegetables in supermarket produce sections, there is a group of people who are staunch supporters of stands and every day or every weekend they stop at their favourite fresh fruit and vegetable vendor to gather their goods.

Farmer Tom Wadson and his family run a vegetable cart on the Railway Trail opposite Whale Bay Road.

"If it is not ours and grown by us, we don't sell it.

"I used to have a cart years ago by the Warwick Shell Station which I ran every Saturday. I started doing this because I was constantly getting calls from people who wanted to buy my stuff and we wanted to market strawberries at a reasonable price. I also thought it would be a good means for cash flow.

He added: "My first cart was at Paget Pharmacy and we use to sell a lot of stuff but now we are not interested in selling imported fruits. That is for the grocery store and I know exactly how all the vegetables on my cart are treated. My wife runs the business now.'' He added if you have good fruits and vegetables, owning a cart can be a good, albeit seasonal business.

"The selection of local produce is starting to taper off but we will carry whatever is in season at the time,'' he said.

Mr. Wadson said one of the nice things about having a stand was the fact that you can develop a very regular and loyal customer base.

"We have some fabulous customers who know what they want and come to us to get it.'' He added that the big advantage of this particular business is that he can pick the vegetables during the day and "it is on your dinner plate in the evening. We try to be as obliging as we can. Our goal is to have it on your table within six hours after its picked. We also do a lot of fresh herbs and fresh eggs.'' Mr. Wadson said his cart is open on Fridays. When the season picks up, the cart is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Just as many farmers did years ago, Robert Sousa operates his own fruit and vegetable truck. He actually comes around to your home and all you have to do is ask.

"I have been selling fruits and vegetables from this truck since I was 13 years old,'' Mr. Sousa said. "My uncle used to own the truck and I worked with him. He semi-retired years ago and I ran it. Six years ago I bought the business. It was a real family thing. My uncle was like a father to me and I enjoyed it and I just kept going with it.'' Mr. Sousa says he buys wholesale from Butterfield and Vallis and for local produce he'll buy from the local farmers.

"I buy twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. I also have my young kids out working with me because I feel it is important to keep it in the family. It also teaches them how to be respectful when helping customers.'' Mr. Sousa said "there are not enough hours in the day'' for him to go to the West End.

"I go to St. George's, Hamilton Parish up to Tee Street. I stay in the central parishes,'' he says.

"I go to people's homes to sell my produce. They see me on the streets and they ask whether I will come to their house. Especially for the elderly who can't get out, having me come by is much easier for them,'' Mr. Sousa said.

"If it weren't for my customers I would not be out there doing what I do.

It's convenient. My customers don't have to worry about standing in line, it's more personable. It's also a nice way to make friendships.

"When I go to people's homes, the customers like to get to know me.

Eventually they start telling family stories.'' Mr. Sousa said many people who see what he does think it must be easy to drive around Bermuda running the business.

"It's not that easy. I don't just sit in my truck all day. I have to deal with buyers and this is what I do to support my family.

"I enjoy working for myself and meeting people. I complain about the hot days in the summer time and the cold days in the winter but I'm out here, rain, blow or shine.'' Mr. Sousa said a normal day means getting on the road between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.

"On Saturdays I have to be at the first house at 7 a.m. I go to the regulars first and then I'll stop for anyone who wants to do business!'' Roland Hill Jr. of J and J Produce operates the stand at the entrance of Melville Crescent near Ariel Sands.

He said people do not use the stands as much as they used to because they are on the go and they are opting for packaged foods now.

"We have grocery stores that conveniently cook food for you and you can go home with a cooked meal every day. I don't know how the restaurants feel about it but I get upset.

"Thank God for the people who use the carts and know what they are getting.

They are getting the fresh product which is picked the day before,'' Mr. Hill said.

"Ninety percent of my customers are regulars in the summer time they don't use the cart as much but in the winter it's really good. We are also farmers so we don't just sell vegetables.'' Vegetable carts Mr. Hill said the reason why he got into this particular business was because he thought it would be an outlet to sell his produce.

"When you have extra vegetables it's an outlet. despite the slow down I must say it more and more people are coming for the fresh good quality products and they come back again.

"The younger people are not interested. They would rather go to the grocery store and buy a salad already mixed, the packaged foods are really killing us and the business. We can't sell things like that because they need to be refrigerated.'' Mr. Hill said they have made many good friendships through the vegetable stand along the way. "I've even been invited to customers weddings.

"People appreciate the one on one attention and the facts that I let them know what's coming up. We also tell them about new things we are growing and we'll let them try it out and then the following week they will usually buy it.

"I understand it is just a change in times thank God for the old people who still want to buy their fresh beets, etc.'' DOING WHAT HE DOES BEST -- Fruit and vegetable vendor Robert Sousa.