Joan Buchanan reaps gungo peas from her St Thomas farm. - Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer

Many Jamaicans have already started their Christmas shopping in an attempt to get away from the hustle and bustle usually seen at this time of year.

The Gleaner went on a tour of St Thomas to check on the availability of some of those traditional Christmas items.

Joan Buchanan of Trinity Ville, St Thomas, chairperson for the Trinity Ville Area Development Benevolent Society and a veteran farmer of over 40 years, works on approximately 15 acres of land located on the sandy plain of the now-defunct Morant Farms, 20 miles from where she resides.

"This year I have placed emphasis on sorrel and gungo peas, as these are generally the two crops that generate the most sales during the Christmas season," she said.

The veteran farmer posits that, based on what she termed "good rainfall" a few months ago, she doesn't foresee a shortage of either of these traditional Christmas ingredients.

Buchanan took The Gleaner news team on a grand tour of her farm, where the team witnessed an abundance of the two items.