A green thumb and a little creativity leads to promotion of healthy eating and use of all natural products, as well as a unique community economic development initiative with a trip down memory lane in Roddickton.

Good green things are growing in the forms of peppers, zucchini, tomatoes and other legumes. Only the freshest herbs and teas are produced at Elsie’s greenhouse. I love her chocolate raspberry tea in the evening, as well as spearmint, peppermint and fresh garlic. Her creative labels illustrate the great market sense with product titles as “Oh My Joints” to help ease arthritic pain, “Oh My Bum”  baby creams or “Good-bye Bugs” which is an effective solution to keep the bugs at bay. She is registered in home-based food preparation with Service NL. A hobby and lifestyle has led to sharing recipes, ideas and advice on her Facebook page “Natural Beauty & Healthy Living”. Community is strengthened when people put their talents to use and share them with others. Small business has always been and always will be the driver of the local economy. We have lots of room for small-scale farming, greenhouses, secondary processing and the ability to establish a network of community supported micro-entrepreneurs. 

After enjoying some natural berry infused water, I began taking a walk down the Blast from the Past Memory Trail.

Along the trail there are many traditional articles that depict how past residents grew up, such as the old wood stove, handmade chimney sweet, cooking pots, water buckets, scrubbing board, beds, mummers and more. Certainly much work went into this walking trail, with items brightly coloured to add to the visual appeal. Elsie’s pride for flowers are present in every exhibit.

This is a very unique open air museum and public display of art worthy of a visit. Rural Newfoundland & Labrador is full of ideas, creative minds and opportunity! I encourage you to drop by and experience the Blast from the Past yourself, but also think about what you can do to add something new to your community.

Live Rural NL –