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Einstein’s  Garden  Society  Award:  Individual  Project  Reports  2016    

Edible  Forest    

Karen  Smith  (December  2016)    

 Executive  summary    Edible  Forest  was  an  interactive  tasting  experience  inspired  by  forest  gardens.  The  project  was  produced  by  Einstein’s  Garden  in  partnership  with  the  University  of  Exeter.    Collaborators  included  a  forest  gardens  researcher  from  the  University  of  Exeter  and  a  foraging  and  wild  food  expert.  The  project  was  piloted  in  Einstein’s  Garden  at  the  Green  Man  Festival  2016.  In  the  festival  programme  Edible  Forest  was  described  as:    

‘Could  you  grow  your  own  edible  forest?  One  of  the  oldest  forms  of  home  food  production,  forest  gardens  involve  fascinating  relationships  between  plants,  environment,  wildlife,  people,  health  and  wellbeing.  Take  a  seat  at  the  dining  table  and  discover  the  foods  and  flavours  inspired  by  woodland  ecosystems.’  

 An  overview  of  the  project  can  be  found  here:  http://einsteinsgarden.net/edible-­‐forest/    Visitors  to  the  Edible  Forest  stall  interacted  with  an  installation  of  edible  plants,  a  larder  of  forest  garden  inspired  ingredients  and  a  dining  table  for  tasting  experiences,  facilitated  by  collaborators.  A  forest  garden  works  on  a  closed  system  with  a  multi-­‐layered  approach,  working  with  natural  processes  to  create  a  self-­‐sustaining  ecosystem.  The  stall  included  plants  such  as  samphire,  yarrow,  plantain,  mint,  raspberry  bushes  and  also  less  well  known  edibles  and  plants  that  might  have  been  considered  weeds.  Edible  Forest  included  lunchtime  and  afternoon  tea  sessions  to  taste  salads,  jams,  chutneys  and  teas  and  growing  leaves  from  the  stall.     The  audience  responded  strongly  positively  to  the  activity  and  with  enthusiastic  engagement.  As  demonstrated  in  the  substantial  number  of  vox  pop  interviews  and  less  strongly  in  the  four  observations,  Edible  Forest  presented  a  strong  tacit  and  experiential  experience.  Visitors  commented  on  how  enjoyable  it  

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was  to  be  able  to  taste  the  plants  and  strongly  welcomed  the  knowledge  of  the  collaborators.  They  also  commented  that  they  learnt  interesting  new  information  about  edible  plants.  The  collaborators  observed  how  patiently  people  waited  to  participate.  All  audience  members  interviewed  said  that  they  would  recommend  the  activity  to  others  and  would  participate  again.    Many  audience  members  interviewed  were  also  inspired  to  try  their  own  edible  forest  and  grow  different  plants.      Edible  Forest  enabled  learning  within  a  wide  range  of  people  from  those  who  had  previously  had  little  interest  in  edible  plants  to  those  who  already  had  significant  interest.  Collaborators  also  learned  from  visitors.    For  both  collaborators  the  impact  of  only  two  people  on  the  stall  with  sessions  which  overlapped  was  a  little  ‘overwhelming’.  Both  collaborators  have  made  robust  suggestions  (detailed  in  the  last  section  of  this  report)  on  how  in  future  sessions  they  could  improve  how  they  faced  the  challenges  presented.  The  rain  and  the  flip  side  of  success  (two  people  working  with  ‘droves  of  people’)  were  the  most  challenging  aspects  of  the  activity  as  mentioned  by  collaborators.  However  collaborators  were  'buoyed  up’  by  the  enthusiasm  and  reaction  of  the  audience  and  their  feedback.    Collaborators  reported  positive  gains  in  experience  and  confidence  in  communication,  collaboration,  and  engaging  with  an  audience.  They  also  responded  positively  to  how  inspired  and  enthused  audiences  were  regarding  their  research  and  everyday  work.        

   Methods      Online  surveys  were  conducted  with  collaborators  before  and  after  the  event,  exploring  their  expectations  and  reflections  on  their  involvement.  One  collaborator  completed  the  pre-­‐event  survey,  and  two  completed  the  post-­‐event  survey.    

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Observations  were  conducted  at  the  Green  Man  festival  focusing  on  each  of  the  individual  projects.  Four  observations  were  completed  focusing  on  Edible  Forest  on  19  and  20  August  2016,  totalling  one  hour  (4  x  15  minutes).  Approximately  64  people  in  total  were  observed  during  the  four  observations.        Short  vox  pop  interviews  were  conducted  with  visitors  at  the  festival  to  explore  their  experiences  and  perceptions  of  the  activities.  Eight  vox  pop  interviews  were  conducted  with  visitors  to  Edible  Forest,  one  vox  pop  interview  was  rained  off  part  way  through.  The  vox  pops  involved:    

• three  young  adults;  one  male,  two  female  • a  family  group  of  one  male,  one  female,  two  male  children  • one  young  adult  female  and  one  male  together  • one  female  child  • one  adult  female  • three  separate  vox  pops  each  with  one  adult  male    

 Vox  pops  were  also  conducted  with  collaborators  at  the  festival,  investigating  how  they  were  finding  delivering  the  activities.  Two  collaborator  vox  pop  interviews  were  conducted,  one  with  a  Scientist  /  Researcher  and  one  with  another  collaborator.        Findings    

 1. Sample  

 The  collaborator  taking  part  in  the  pre-­‐event  survey  was  a  scientist.  Of  those  taking  part  in  the  post-­‐event  survey,  one  was  a  scientist  and  one  described  themselves  as  a  forager.        

2. Collaborators’  existing  experiences  of  public  engagement    The  collaborator  had  been  involved  in  similar  projects  before  including  work  with  the  Wellcome  Trust  Crunch  Initiative;  writing  on  Forest  Gardens  for  the  Eden  Project’s  Green  Spaces  booklet;  being  a  STEM  busker  at  the  South  West  Big  Bang  Fair;  and  participated  in  the  joint  Wellcome  Trust  and  Documentary  Filmmakers  Group  ‘Science  on  Film  Project.’  The  collaborator  was  motivated  to  get  involved  because  of  enjoyment  in  finding  new  and  innovative  ways  of  developing  engagement  with  people  about  the  work  and  the  project.      

3. Collaborators  perceptions  before  the  festival    Before  the  festival,  the  collaborator  did  not  have  any  concerns  and  was  looking  forward  to  the  challenge  of  engaging  in  conversation  with  festival  goers.  In  terms  of  the  delivery  of  the  project  at  the  festival  the  collaborator  was  most  concerned  about  ensuring  that  they  had  enough  props  and  display  to  ‘spark  and  maintain  the  interest  of  passing  festival  goers’.  The  collaborator  was  aiming  to  learn  new  ways  of  presenting  work,  meeting  and  working  with  new  collaborators  and  also  having  fun.          

4. Collaborators’  perceptions  following  the  festival    Collaborators  were  asked  about  their  perceptions  of  the  overall  experience  of  delivering  the  project  at  the  festival.  Both  rated  this  as  very  positive  scoring  the  highest  number  of  10.        When  commenting  on  their  ratings,  collaborators  mentioned  the  receptive  quality  and  enthusiasm  of  the  audience  ‘I  really  enjoyed  the  opportunity  to  talk  about  aspects  of  my  research  to  such  a  receptive  and  enthusiastic  audience’.  Additionally  sharing  knowledge  was  valued:  ‘lots  of  very  inspired  people  came  to  talk  

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and  listen  to  us,  sharing  their  knowledge  also’.  For  the  collaborator  who  was  a  forager  they  achieved  their  key  aim  to  engage  people  with  ‘very  overlooked  nutritious,  tasty  wild  herbs,  salads,  berries  which  are  growing  all  around  us  here…often  referred  to  as  weeds’.      Collaborators  were  asked  about  the  most  rewarding  aspect  of  the  experience.  One  collaborator  said  that  the  sharing  of  ideas  and  experiences  with  each  other  (on  the  project)  was  the  most  rewarding.    The  other  suggested  that  most  rewarding  was  the  discussion  with  ‘interested  and  interesting  people’  and  additionally  being  able  to  use  products  from  Forest  Gardens.    In  vox  pop  one  collaborator  added:  ‘People  are  loving  it,  a  lot  of  people  seem  to  be  waiting  an  hour  or  so  before,  they  know  a  little  bit  about  it,  they’re  here  patiently  waiting,  it’s  been  really  good.’    Collaborators  were  also  asked  about  the  most  challenging  aspect  of  the  experience.  Both  collaborators  were  challenged  by  the  workload  for  two  people.    There  were  two  collaborators  on  Edible  Forest  in  total.  As  one  said:    ‘we  were  doing  a  lot  of  work  even  in  the  breaks  to  make  it  happen’.        The  other  collaborator  explained  that  they  were  ‘in  a  way  victims  of  our  own  success  making  the  workload  almost  too  much  for  the  pair  of  us.  So  many  people  were  interested  in  finding  out  about  the  Edible  Forest  that  we  had  very  little  down  time  in-­‐between  sessions.  The  one  hour  break  was  mainly  taken  up  with  comfort  break.’  Additionally  whilst  a  diversity  of  living  plants  recreated  a  miniature  forest  garden,  and  supported  the  concept  of  an  Edible  Forest,  it  had  not  been  realised  that  they  would  have  to  be  put  away  at  each  session’s  culmination.  As  one  collaborator  said:  ‘I  hadn't  realised  before  bringing  so  many  of  them  that  they  would  have  to  be  put  away  safely  at  the  end  of  each  session’.    Suggestions  from  the  collaborators  (and  incorporating  audience  feedback)  to  improve  delivery  and  dissipate  workload  challenges  in  the  future  were:    

• ‘have  the  board  with  "open  times"  on  view  from  the  beginning  rather  than  on  the  last  day.’    • Engage  additional  help  ‘or  another  couple  of  collaborators.  Also  having  a  steward  or  somebody  to  

man  the  stall  while  we  took  a  proper  break  would  have  helped  a  lot.’  • ‘have  some  Forest  Gardeners  on  the  stall  to  discuss  the  challenges  and  highlights  they  have  

experienced;  discuss  what  they  eat  and  how  etc.’  • ‘have  someone  from  a  young  Forest  Garden  (less  than  10  years  old)  and  a  mature  Forest  Garden  

and/or  from  a  Community  run  or  private  system’;  (for  example,  specific  people  at  Priory  Orchard  and  Prestwich  Clough  Forest  Garden  were  suggested  as  being  good  to  approach.  The  collaborators  also  had  other  suggestions).  

• ‘have  move-­‐able  platform/wheels  to  support  putting  away  plants  at  the  end  of  each  session’  • ‘provide  a  leaflet  with  information  on  Forest  Gardens,  plants  within  them  and  websites  for  further  

information,  along  with  our  contact  details’      

5. Impacts  on  collaborators      Collaborators  were  asked  whether  their  experience  with  the  project  had  impacted  on  their  ideas  about  public  engagement  with  science.  One  collaborator  said  that  whilst  they  had  taken  part  in  a  number  of  varied  public  engagement  with  science  activities.  ‘This  was  my  first  time  at  a  music  festival,  both  for  work  and  for  pleasure.  It  was  a  unique  way  of  engaging  as  each  session  was  different:  some  participants  were  well  informed  and  were  already  trying  this  system;  others  were  keen  to  experiment’.    Collaborators  commented  on  whether  their  experience  had  led  them  to  consider  their  everyday  work  in  a  new  way.  Both  collaborators  had  been  inspired  to  continue  working  with  similar  projects,  with  one  aiming  to  follow  up  contacts  made  at  the  festival,  including:  ‘a  contact  in  Kerala,  India  an  area  that  inspired  Robert  Hart  to  start  the  Forest  Garden  system  in  the  UK’.  The  other  collaborator  suggested  that  they  now  ‘have  a  feel  for  how  it  can  work’.  

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 When  asked  about  other  impacts,  collaborators  rated  their  experiences  on  a  scale  of  1  (not  at  all)  to  10  (totally  changed).  Impacts  were  positive  in  nature.    For  learning  about  art  and/or  science  one  collaborator  scored  6  and  one  7,  for  example,  one  collaborator  commented:  ‘The  workshop  I  completed  at  Exeter  University  with  Einstein's  Garden  was  fascinating  as  it  was  really  interesting  to  see  how  artists  interpret  science  in  such  interesting  and  interactive  ways.  I  really  enjoyed  this  event’.  The  other  said  ‘I  learned  a  lot  about  the  science  of  forest  gardens,  ecology,  permaculture  principles  and  more.’      Both  collaborators  rated  the  impact  on  skills  in  public  engagement  as  8.  One  collaborator  explained  their  rating:  ‘non-­‐stop  engaging  with  the  public  over  three  days  and  reflecting  on  delivery  and  content  we  were  delivering  meant  we  improved  considerably  (I  feel).’      On  confidence  in  public  engagement  one  collaborator  scored  9  and  one  scored  6.    One  collaborator  suggested  that  lots  of  practice  at  the  festival  had  increased  their  confidence.    They  said:  ‘lots  of  practise,  lots  of  different  sorts  of  conversations  with  people  of  varying  ages,  including  young  children’.    One  collaborator  also  suggested  they  had  learnt  about  pacing  a  session  and  felt  they  had  tried  to  pack  too  much  into  each  session.  They  observed:  ‘In  retrospect  I  think  that  we  could  have  either  1)  Repeated  the  same  things  at  each  session  (this  would  not  have  enabled  people  to  come  back  though  and  we  had  a  few  that  came  to  both  the  salad  and  the  tea  sessions).  2)  Tried  something  slightly  different  for  each  session.  This  would  make  it  more  varied  for  the  recipient  but  could  put  more  pressure  on  us  to  deliver  it.’    Some  visitors  when  interviewed  were  also  empathetic  with  the  amount  the  team  were  trying  to  achieve,  for  example,  one  visitor  commented:  ‘I  don’t  think  they  were  expecting  the  numbers  they’ve  been  getting’.      Collaborators  were  asked  ‘Before  taking  part  in  this  project  how  involved  would  you  have  considered  yourself  in  public  engagement  with  science  (e.g.  do  you  participate  in  many  events  and  activities?)  (1-­‐10  scale,  1  –  not  engaged  at  all,  10  extremely  engaged)’.  One  collaborator  responded  with  a  rating  of  8,  and  one  with  5.  Indicating  the  latter  was  not  greatly  experienced  in  the  area,  but  the  former  collaborator  was  experienced  in  engagement.      When  asked  whether  their  experience  had  made  them  more  or  less  likely  to  be  involved  in  similar  public  engagement  events  in  the  future  both  collaborators  had  been  positively  affected  in  terms  of  their  motivation  in  public  engagement.  The  collaborator  who  rated  8  above,  moved  to  a  9,  explaining  their  score  with:  ‘I  am  very  interested  in  engaging  the  public  about  science  and  I  am  always  looking  for  new  and  exciting  ways  in  which  to  do  this.  Einstein's  Garden  was  a  perfect  way  to  do  this.  My  only  regret  is  not  having  enough  time  to  experience  any  of  the  other  exhibits’.  The  collaborator  who  had  scored  5  moved  to  an  8.  They  explained  their  response:  ‘I  am  inspired  to  work  with  similar  projects,  at  festivals  in  the  future  now  that  I  have  a  feel  for  how  it  can  work.  The  participants  were  so  inspiring  and  feedback  we  received  was  great!’        

6. Audience  interactions  and  behaviours          

Observations  provided  a  snapshot  of  audience  behaviours  whilst  participating  in  the  activity.  Four  observations  were  conducted,  of  86  visitors  in  total,  and  on  average  each  observation  was  15  minutes.      Edible  Forest  presented  a  strong  tacit  and  experiential  experience.  People  in  vox  pops  commented  on  how  enjoyable  it  was  to  be  able  to  taste  the  plants  and  strongly  welcomed  the  knowledge  of  the  collaborators.  The  vox  pop  interviews  demonstrate  a  wide  range  of  enjoyment  and  learning  from  people  who  had  previously  had  little  interest  in  edible  plants  to  those  who  already  had  significant  interest.  For  example  one  relatively  experienced  interviewee  observed:    ‘Absolutely  loved  it,  we  do  foraging  anyway  but  whoever  the  

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chap  is  really  knew  his  stuff,  we’ve  been  looking  for  some  mushrooms  for  the  last  couple  of  days,  I  showed  him  the  mushrooms  I  had  on  my  phone  and  he  was  helping  me  identify  them.  The  kids  tasted  some  of  the  plants  which  they’d  never  tried  before  and  I’d  never  seen  samphire  in  a  pot  I’d  only  ever  associated  samphire  with  being  a  wild  plant  so  it  was  an  interesting  chat,  he  really  knew  his  stuff…The  thing  about  foraging  is  you’re  constantly  after  new  information,  it’s  always  good  to  have  a  chat.  If  I  find  an  expert  I’m  always  full  of  questions,  you  can’t  get  everything  in  books,  it’s  good  to  have  a  one  to  one.  It’s  really  nice  to  find  a  spot  where  I  can  actually  bombard  him  with  loads  of  questions  we’ve  had  over  being  in  Wales  for  the  last  week.’ Observations  noted  the  tacit  experiential  nature  of  workshop,  for  example:  

• ‘At  the  end,  when  they  gave  out  the  tea,  people  were  having  very  in-­‐depth  conversations  about  how  the  tea  smelled.’    

• ‘Several  people  had  discussions  about  the  food  in  smaller  groups  while  they  were  eating  –  so  they  continued  to  engage  with  the  topics  even  after  the  talk  finished.’  

 Visitors  were  observed  to  be  engaging  in  sustained  involvement  and  interaction  and  seemed  to  be  absorbed  in  the  activity  for  long  periods,  for  example:    

• ‘Whole  group  who  were  there  when  the  workshop  started  stayed  for  the  entire  talk’.  • ‘Participants  generally  spent  a  long  time  at  the  stall  having  very  in  depth  conversations  where  one  

question  led  to  another  as  participants  discovered  more  about  foraging,  food  and  sustainability’.  • ‘One  participant  stayed  for  the  entire  observation  and  explored  the  plants  and  ingredients  used  to  

cook  the  meal.  The  same  participant  spent  lots  of  time  speaking  to  the  project  leads  and  looked  intrigued  and  responsive  to  what  she  was  being  shown’.  

.    One  observation  also  recorded  that:  ‘Participants  that  arrive  at  the  activity  and  get  the  opportunity  to  speak  to  a  project  lead  end  up  staying,  engaging  and  interacting  for  a  notable  period  of  time.’    This  activity  was  observed  to  be  less  interesting  for  smaller  children,  however  the  vox  pops  indicate  active  engagement  by  younger  people.    Two  observations  noted  the  following:    

• ‘It  was  really  only  the  adults  that  were  engaging  properly  –  the  kids  seemed  less  interested,  although  not  unhappy  to  be  there.’    

• ‘Smallest  child  (3-­‐4ish)  didn’t  seem  that  interested,  but  her  dad  was  whispering  to  explain  things  as  the  talk  progressed.  She  did  really  like  getting  a  sticker  to  say  she’d  visited  Edible  Forest  though.’  

• ‘All  the  adults  were  keen  to  try  the  food,  and  were  eager  to  eat  it  once  they  had  their  bowl  in  their  hand  (“Are  we  meant  to  wait?”)  Again,  the  kids  seemed  less  keen  on  the  idea  of  the  food.’  

 One  vox  pop  with  a  younger  child  (age  not  recorded)  had  many  comments  regarding  her  engagement  with  the  project,  for  example:    ‘the  people  there  were  explaining  different  edible  plants  and  we  got  to  try  loads  of  things  like  mulberries,  fuchsia  berries,  and  some  mushroom  leaves  or  wild  rocket,  it  was  really  good’.    Observations  noted  the  quietness  whilst  waiting  for  sessions  to  start,  and  also  that  the  lack  of  activity  ’seemed  to  make  the  project  less  noticeable  to  passers-­‐by’,  for  example  ‘Elderly  couple  stopped  to  read  the  sign  at  the  beginning  but  didn’t  go  in  as  there  was  no  workshop’.    Even  when  collaborators  were  present,  the  lack  of  workshop  was  observed  to  disengage  some  people:  ‘A  couple  of  people  came  over  just  to  sit  at  the  picnic  table  initially,  and  then  got  drawn  in  talking  to  the  people  running  it.  But  they  left  after  a  while  as  there  was  no  workshop  going  on’.  However,  ‘As  soon  as  more  people  started  to  crowd  around  when  the  workshop  started,  others  came  over’.  Another  observation  records  that  people  are  eager  and  waiting  for  the  session  to  start:    ‘started  late…one  participant  seemed  upset  at  the  late  start  time  and  queried  this  with  the  scientist.    The  scientist  mentioned  that  they  are  a  small  team  and  have  to  wait  for  the  food  to  be  ready’.    Other  observed  behaviours  included  the  popularity  of  the  sticker  given  out  at  the  end.  

 

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The  observations  additionally  evidenced  good  engagement  with  the  scientists  and  activity  overall.  The  audience  were  observed  to  be  curious  about  the  activity,  for  example,  ‘pointing  to  the  photographs  etc.’  and  ‘People  were  asking  questions  both  to  expand  on  points    already  made  by  the  researcher  or  to  get  clarification  on  things  they  didn’t  understand’.    Audience  members  were  asked  in  vox  pops  whether  they  would  expect  to  see  this  kind  of  activity  at  a  music  festival.  Comments  from  interviews  ranged  in  opinion  dependent  on  their  experience  of  festivals  in  general  and  which  festivals  they  had  previously  attended. Visitors  from  two  different  vox  pop  groups,  one  of  whom  was  described  as  an  ‘avid  festival  goer’  commented  that  they  had  not  seen  ‘anything  quite  like  it  at  a  festival  before’.  In  the  second  group  they  suggested  that  they  may  experience ‘a  lot  of  craft  and  maybe  jewellery  making’ but  had  not  experienced  foraging  or  edible  gardening  at  a  festival  before.  Two  separate  interviews  with  regular  Einstein’s  Garden  attenders  at  their  sixth  and  tenth  Green  Man  Festivals  respectively  considered  Edible  Forest  ‘a  really  good  new  addition’.  Neither  of  these  attenders  had  seen  anything  similar  previously  at  Green  Many  or  other  festivals.       A  further  two  vox  pops  interviews  both  with  people  who  had  been  to  Glastonbury  suggested  that  edible  forest  type  activity  was  more  expected,  as  one  person  commented:    ‘the  healing  fields  had  something  similar’.    The  other  interviewee  said  that  increasingly  you  might  now  expect  similar  activities.    They  explained: ‘I  come  from  having  been  to  Glastonbury  since  I  was  19,  I’m  42  now.  When  I  was  19  there  was  no  way,  but  you  know  music  festivals  have  evolved.  I  think  we  no  longer  think  of  music  festivals  as  strictly  music  festivals  and  I  think  you’d  really  be  missing  a  trick  if  you  had  quite  a  family  orientated  festival  like  this  and  didn’t  offer  something  like  that  because  it’s  a  big  part  of  city  dwellers  coming  to  the  countryside  so  I  think  it’s  quite  important…  but  a  classic  music  festival:  no.’  Another  interviewee  commented  ‘in  Einstein’s  Garden  I  would  [expect  it],  any  other  music  festival,  no’  and  the  accompanying  vox  pop  interviewee  observed:  ‘I  did  a  foraging  workshop  at  Latitude  so  at  some  festivals  I  wouldn’t  be  surprised’.          

7. Impacts  on  the  audience    Collaborators  were  asked  how  they  felt  the  audience  had  responded  to  the  project,  and  if  there  were  things  which  they  felt  had  worked  particularly  well.  Both  collaborators  observed  that  the  audience  had  enjoyed  trying  different  tastings.  One  collaborator  observed:  ‘The  interaction  with  tasting  various  condiments,  lunch  and  teas  was  well  received’.  The  other  collaborator  observed:  ‘they  loved  trying  the  different  foods.  My  particular  favourite  was  the  Stevia  and  chocolate  mint’.    Additionally  the  wealth  of  plants  present  and  the  ability  for  people  to  actively  taste  leaves  was  noted  as  popular.        As  mentioned  above  a  highlight  for  collaborators  was  the  idea  (from  the  scientist  /  research  collaborator  borrowed  from  a  forest  gardener)  to  create  an  Edible  Forest  ‘after  eight  mint  affect’  using  Stevia.  As  both  collaborators  described  in  vox  pops:  ‘Stevia  is  a  plant  that’s  really  rich  in  sugar  and  if  you  wrap  it  around  a  chocolate  mint  plant  it  tastes  like  a  chocolate  mint  and  people’s  faces,  it’s  really  good.’  The  collaborators  both  particularly  enjoyed  seeing  people’s  reaction  with  the  chocolate  mint,  and  additionally  as  one  collaborator  said:  ‘seeing  them  taste  things  that  they  wouldn’t  necessarily  eat  like  garlic  buds,  people  were  really  enjoy  tasting  all  of  that’.      Concurrent  with  the  observations  and  vox  pops,  the  collaborators  observed  that  the  audience  ‘loved  tasting  everything,  they  loved  finding  out  about  the  things  that  they  could  eat,  that  grow  wild  and  just  the  tasting  sessions,  they  really  liked  that’.    In  addition  to  being  a  highlight  for  collaborators,  visitors  in  the  vox  pops  also  observed  the  chocolate  mint  effect:  ‘it’s  a  really  really  powerful  strong  long  lasting,  it  was  amazing…Also  a  plant  that  has  a  really  distinct  mushroomy  aftertaste  which  was  brilliant.’  Another  visitor  discussed  tasting  things  they  had  not  tried  before:  ‘the  thing  I’d  never  tried  before  was  a  mussel  plant,  I  was  familiar  with  a  couple  of  plants  there  but  I’d  never  tried  a  mussel  plant  and  there  was  something  else,  a  Chinese  artichoke  root  which  again  I  found  

8    

fascinating.  There  was  one  plant  which  I’m  actually  going  to  go  back  and  take  a  picture  of  with  a  purple  flower  that  I’ve  seen  growing  in  my  wall,  I  had  no  idea  it  was  edible.’  One  vox  pop  interviewee  discussed  developing  contacts  with  the  collaborators  regarding  similar  ‘forward  thinking’  projects  around  living  spaces,  architecture,  housing  forest  gardens,  edible  plants  and  renewable  energy  and  bringing  those  ideas  into  the  mainstream  and  for  people  to  take  initiative  for  the  future.      One  Collaborator  observed  that  they  had  mutually  learnt  within  the  activities:    ‘I  learnt  so  many  recipes,  methods,  different  methods  of  making  things,  for  instance  with  elderberry;  people  have  had  so  many  ideas  for  puddings  and  sweet  sauces  and  vinegars,  some  of  which  I’ve  done,  some  I  haven’t.  Or  variations  of  recipes  you  already  do,  like  making  a  elderberry  vinegar  but  with  cloves  instead  of  just  vinegar  and  sugar…  I’ve  learnt  from  them  as  much  as  they’ve  learnt  from  me…the  biggest  thrill…it’s  a  big  sharing  thing  and  that’s  what  I  hoped  would  happen.’    Edible  food  from  foraging;  growing  edible  plants  to  eat  were  key  reasons  people  were  interested  in  the  stall.  Visitors  said  in  vox  pops  that  they  had  learnt  new  things  about  their  existing  gardens,  for  example:  ‘I  quite  liked  the  fuchsia  berries  because  they  were  quite  refreshing  and  I  didn’t  know  you  could  actually  eat  them…  I  actually  have  a  fuchsia  plant  at  home  so  I’m  going  to  start  eating  them!’  One  person  had  an  allotment  and  had  gained  ideas  on  food  that ‘I  was  not  even  aware  of’. Some  of  the  vox  pop  interviewees  were  also  inspired  to  grow  their  own  plants  and  edible  forests,  and  responded  animatedly  with  clear  examples  of  plant  names  written  down  to  take  home,  and  ideas  of  what  to  grow,  for  example:    

• ‘I’ve  already  got  a  couple  of  the  plants  but  I  think  I  might  start  growing  chives  and  mushroom  plants’;  ‘Pickled  garlic  heads,  so  we’ve  got  garlic  and  we  never  thought  to  take  the  garlic  tips  off  so  there  are  things  I  will  do  when  we  go  back  home.’  

• ‘I  didn’t  realise  that  you  can  grate  horseradish  on  salads  and  then  eat  it,  because  we’ve  got  lots  of  horseradish  and  we  just  pickle  it  and  mix  it  with  sour  cream,  these  are  things  I  wasn’t  aware  of.  

• ‘I  do  know  quite  a  bit  about  wild  flowers  and  that’s  really  introduced  me  to  plants  that  I’ve  never  thought  about  growing,  I  didn’t  know  what  they  tasted  like  and  a  lot  of  common  plants  that  I  didn’t  know  you  could  eat’.  

• ‘they  gave  me  some  lovage  which  I’ve  never  actually  had,  as  a  herb,  it  was  very  nice  yes,  I  will  grow  some  myself.’  

 When  interviewed  all  vox  pop  visitors  recalled  plant  names  and  demonstrated  enjoyment  at  learning  new  properties  for  plants  and  new  plants,  for  example  one  visitor  said:  ‘they  had  things  like  plantain  and  stuff  which  we  learnt  about  on  the  wild  walk  it’s  an  antihistamine…it’s  really  interesting  to  see  how  they  used  it  in  salads  and  stuff  and  trying  it…we  want  to  make  our  own  dressings…’  Each  vox  pop  demonstrates  people  citing  different  plant  names  for  example:  dried  figs;  couscous;  fuchsia  berries;  wild  garlic;  nasturtium  flowers;  oxeye  daisy;  plantain;  mushrooms; elderberries.  One  interviewee  said:  ‘the  nasturtium  flowers  and  wild  garlic  buds,  pickled,  they  were  really  nice,  it  was  really  good.’  One  audience  member  described  Edible  Forest  as  ‘quite  incredible’.      Nearly  all  visitors  to  Edible  Forest  commented  in  vox  pops  that  they  were  inspired  to  participate  in  other  similar  activities,  for  example  one  interviewee  commented:  ‘yeah  definitely,  we  will  be  hunting  out  anything  that  we  haven’t  participated  in  yet’.    Some  visitors  had  already  taken  part  in  other  activities  such  as  country  dancing  and  mad  hacking,  and  other  Einstein’s  Garden  stalls.  A  vox  pop  with  a  family  group  suggested  that  they  were  regular  festivals  attenders,  they  observed: ‘We’ve  got  a  10  year  old  and  a  7  year  old  and  part  of  us  going  there  with  our  kids  is…to  coin  a  cheesy  phrase,  it’s  actually  quite  “edutaining”,  like  the  DNA  thing  that  my  daughter  did  earlier,  she  was  educated  while  she  was  being  entertained  and  that’s  what’s  quite  nice  about  this,  it  isn’t  all  just  fluffy  animals  and  puppet  shows  it’s  actually  got  an  element  of  education  about  it  which  is  really  good’.  

9    

When  asked  in  vox  pops  about  whether  they  had  spoken  to  any  of  the  scientists,  all  the  vox  pops  both  adults  and  children  discussed  talking  to  one  or  both  collaborators  and  evidenced  what  they  were  learning,  for  example:    

• ‘we  talked  to  the  guy  quite  a  lot,  he  seemed  really  nice,  he  told  me  a  lot  about  the  oxeye  daisy  and  which  bits  I  could  eat  ‘  

• ‘I  tried  to  get  as  much  information  about  the  things  growing  in  my  own  garden…I’ve  heard  that  if  you  want  to  have  a  forest  garden  you  plant  the  trees  first  and  then  you  want  to  be  having  layers  so  you  have  strawberries  at  the  bottom  and  things  that  grow  at  different  heights.’    

 For  at  least  half  of  the  vox  pop  interviewees  Edible  Forest  had  changed  their  opinion  about  science  and  research.  One  suggested  that  it  had  not  occurred  to  them  that  Edible  Forest  maybe  part  of  a  science  section,  and  another  described  Edible  Forest  as  ‘covertly  science  for  me,  clearly  I  understand  the  science  element  of  it,  it’s  more  to  do  with  the  practical  element,  what  can  I  do,  it’s  kind  of  more  DIY  than  science,  the  science  is  covert  so  that’s  kind  of  what  I  like  about  it’.    The  activity  was  considered  ‘really  interesting’  and  made  science  more  fun  for  particularly  the  younger  people  responding  to  vox  pops.  The  family  group  vox  pop  dad  observed:  ‘science  seems  to  be  really  interesting  at  the  moment,  I  like  listening  to  professor  cox  and  stuff  that’s  on  the  tv  and  radio  at  the  moment,  I  think  it’s  good  that  it’s  here,  it  just  feeds  something  that  we’ve  got  a  bit  of  an  appetite  for  at  the  moment  anyway.’  One  person  had  not  had  their  opinion  about  science  and    research  changed,  they  were  interested  in  cooking  and  growing  food  and  suggested  that    everyone  should  cook  and  grow  their  own  food.      When  asked  what  the  audience  did  not  find  as  engaging,  both  collaborators  thought  a  shorter  introduction  at  the  beginning  of  each  session  would  be  better.    As  one  collaborator  observed:  ‘We  started  off  introducing  ourselves  at  the  beginning,  providing  background  to  the  Edible  Forest  and  ourselves.  Some  slightly  switched  off  during  this  as  they  were  keen  just  to  taste.  It  also  meant  that  people  had  to  stay  for  the  whole  session  or  left  without  tasting  anything.’    Learning  from  the  sessions  for  the  future  included  

• having  a  shorter  introductory  talk  for  each  session    • again,  having  a  hand-­‐out  leaflet  to  provide  background  information  and  enable  people  to  drop  in  

and  out  more  easily.      Visitors  in  all  eight  vox  pops  would  strongly  recommend  Edible  Forest  to  others,  all  were  effusive,  for  example:  ‘definitely  it’s  really  really  interesting’.        

8. Improvements  and  suggestions    Vox  pop  interviewees  made  the  following  comments  for  improvements:  Whilst  empathising  with  the  amount  of  people,  and  suggesting  they  realised  that  it  was  the  first  time  for  the  Edible  Forest  stall,  and  that  perhaps  collaborators  had  not  realised  how  popular  the  activities  would  be,  one  interviewee  would  have  ‘liked  it  to  feel  a  little  bit  more  organised’.    Echoing  the  collaborators  comments,  a  number  of  those  interviewed  suggested  more  plants  and  more  collaborators.        One  interviewee  also  commented  that  as  Edible  Forest  was  interesting  for  adults  and  young  people  alike,  and  because  it  was  a  food  orientated  activity,  they  suggested  locating  the  site  nearer  a  food  stall,  they  said: ‘in  some  ways  it’s  a  great  site  in  terms  of  Einstein’s  Garden  but  it  also  limits  it,  it’s  actually  a  food  thing  so  it  might  be  interesting  to  put  it  closer  to  the  food  …so  it  kind  of  expands  an  audience.’ Others  suggested  that  the  closeness  to  the  stage  made  it  challenging  to  hear  well.    On  the  basis  of  that,  one  person  suggested  a  bigger  tent.    Two  observations  also  record  difficulty  hearing,  for  example:    

• ‘Some  at  the  back  struggled  to  hear  over  the  background  music,  but  they  were  quite  vocal  about  it,  and  they  were  invited  further  into  the  tent  to  hear  better’.  

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• ‘It  was  quite  hard  to  hear  exactly  what  was  being  said  (for  me,  and  for  the  people  watching)  because  of  the  background  music,  so  everyone  had  to  huddle  in  quite  tight.  Some  who  joined  at  the  back  towards  the  end  left  after  a  while,  I  think  because  they  couldn’t  hear  properly  as  they  couldn’t  get  close  enough.’  

 Finally  one  person  suggested  creating  more  of  a  visual  entrance  for  Edible  Forest: ‘maybe  they  could  have  a  willow  entrance  to  go  through,  you’ve  got  trees  and  plants,  but  a  visual  entrance,  it  looks  like  they  might  just  be  selling…’    Collaborators  suggestions  for  improvement  are  included  in  the  above  evaluation  and  summarised  here:    

• Have  opening  times  and  session  times  /  information  on  view  from  the  beginning    • Engage  additional  help  to  support  the  collaborators  and  ensure  proper  rest  time.    • Bring  in  Forest  Gardeners  to  discuss  their  experiences,  from  a  variety  of  ages,  places  and  

experience  of  different  systems.  • Consider  a  moveable  platform  to  support  putting  away  plants  at  the  end  of  each  session  • Create  a  hand  out  leaflet  with  background  information  on  Forest  Gardens,  the  plants  within  them  

and  websites  for  further  information,  along  with  contact  details  and  information  on  the  collaborators.  

• Consider  and  discuss  for  the  future  how  the  sessions  are  organised  and  paced  and  how  they  impact  on  delivery.  Perhaps  sessions  would  work  better  if  they  were  homogenised?  Or  is  a  heterogeneous  approach  more  suited  to  the  stall?      

• Have  a  shorter  introductory  talk  for  each  session  and  rely  on  the  proposed  hand-­‐out  leaflet  for  more  detail.    

   

         

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Edible  Forest               Redelivery    

Karen  Smith  (December  2017)    Edible  Forest  was  redelivered  at  the  Royal  Cornwall  Show  on  Thursday  to  Saturday  8-­‐  10  May  2017.      Methods:  Redelivery      Nine  observations  were  conducted  at  the  Royal  Cornwall  Show  focusing  on  Edible  Forest  totalling  112  minutes.  Observations  varied  in  length,  ranging  from  4  minutes  to  32  minutes.  Most  observations  were  10-­‐15  minutes  in  length.      Observations  focused  on  capturing  a  record  of  audience  behaviours  during  participation  in  activities,  interactions  between  audience  members  and  staff,  and  evidence  of  impacts  on  audiences.      Standardised  comment  cards  were  distributed  during  Edible  Forest  at  the  Royal  Cornwall  Show  to  explore  how  Edible  Forest  worked  beyond  the  Einstein’s  Garden  context.  Comment  cards  were  integrated  into  the  activities  and  40  comment  cards  were  collected.  Questions  on  comment  cards  included  asking  visitors  to  rate  their  enjoyment;  how  the  event  had  impacted  on  their  interest  in  the  subject;  and  what  new  learning  they  had  achieved.      The  Creative  Producer  also  created  a  written  reflection  on  the  experience  of  Edible  Forest  at  the  Royal  Cornwall  Show.      Findings:  Redelivery      

9. Sample    Observations  provided  a  snapshot  of  audience  behaviours  whilst  participating  in  Edible  Forest  and  the  different  approaches  of  staff  working  on  the  project.  Nine  observations  were  conducted  of  approximately  35  visitors  in  total.        

10. Audience  interactions  and  behaviours    All  nine  observations  from  Edible  Forest  at  the  Royal  Cornwall  Show  present  evidence  (as  with  Edible  Forest  at  Green  Man  Festival),  of  a  strong  tacit  and  experiential  experience.  In  eight  of  the  nine  observations,  people  are  observed  to  be  deeply  engaged  in  conversation  for  sustained  periods  of  time,  and  are  also  listening  to  the  researchers.  A  wide  range  of  people  from  five  years  of  age  through  to  grandparents  are  observed  to  stay  and  develop  learning  with  the  stall  holders.  The  knowledge  of  the  researchers  is  also  clearly  appreciated  in  both  the  observational  information  and  in  the  comment  cards.  A  wide  range  of  enjoyment  and  learning  has  been  demonstrated  ranging  from  people  who  were  new  to  edible  plants  to  those  who  already  had  significant  interest.      Visitors  were  observed  to  be  engaging  in  sustained  involvement  and  interaction  and  seemed  to  be  absorbed  in  the  activity  for  long  periods,  for  example,  excerpts  from  observations  follow:      Observation:  ‘Sharing  stories  of  different  wild  gardeners.  Gathering  group  at  table  now,  [researcher]  brings  in  other  visitors  too,  try  foods/leaves/jams.  Engaging  for  a  really  long  time.  [Researcher]  shows  favourite  plants/asks  if  there  are  any  she  recognises.’  

 

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Observation:  ‘Young  female,  between  16  and  18,  on  her  own  Engaging  for  quite  a  while  already.  Sat  down  talking  to  [researchers]  Asking  for  tips  on  stuff  to  grow  indoors  as  doesn’t  have  outdoor  space  –  trying  all  the  different  things  Seems  to  know  quite  a  bit  about  different  plants  and  ecology/biodiversity.      Moves  between  [researchers]  to  [researcher]–  talk  about  Cornwall  growing  plants  in  harsh  environments  like  deserts  as  she  prefers  succulents  –  [researcher]  grows  on  sand  dunes.  Continues  to  try  things  then  mum  comes  over  and  needs  to  go.  Seems  really  engaged  conversation.’  

 Observation:  ‘[researcher]  deep  in  conversation  with  lady,  using  books  to  explain  aspects  of  forest  gardens.  …Lady  and  her  partner  walk  over,  [researcher]  goes  over  to  explain  the  project,  nodding,  [researcher]  brings  leathers  over  for  tasting.  Lady  points  at  different  plants,  [researcher]  asking  her  questions  –  long  conversation  with  [researcher]….  [researcher]  still  talking  to  lady  –  been  at  least  15minutes.’    The  observations  demonstrate  the  skill  of  the  stallholders  in  drawing  visitors  in,  by  asking  if  they  would  like  to  try  tea.  Learning  is  also  observed  to  be  two-­‐way,  for  example:  ‘[Visitor]  asks  questions  about  different  plants.  [researcher]  points  those  out.  Visitor  says  studies  at  Eden  Project.  Talks  about  studies,  not  related  to  forest  gardens  but  looking  at  all  different  types  of  ways  and  approaches  to  conservation  and  ecology  work.  Very  much  two-­‐way  conversation.  [Researcher]seems  to  be  learning  about  other  researchers  looking  at  similar  stuff.’  Observations  also  note  the  tacit  experiential  nature  of  the  workshop,  for  example:  ‘male  and  female  couple  …  Having  conversation  with  [researcher]  whilst  trying  all  the  plants/fruit  leathers/foraged  food.’    One  excerpt  from  an  observation  demonstrates  strong  engagement  with  the  scientists  and  activity  overall.  The  audience  were  observed  to  be  curious  about  the  activity  and  as  noted  above,  engaged  for  long  periods  of  time:    ‘Large  crowd  around  table,  X,  X,  X  and  X  [4  researchers]  all  engaged  in  separate  conversations.  People  asking  lots  of  questions  –  “what’s  this?”  “is  that  mint?”  “what’s  the  tea?”  Tasting  fruit  leathers…Showing  books  about  forest  gardens…Facilitators  asking  questions  to  stimulate  conversations  –  “do  you  like  gardening?”  Exchange  of  information,  visitor  –  “I  grow  horseradish”  Kids  tasting  –  “that  tastes  like…”  People  filling  in  comment  cards  and  saying  thank  you.  Atmosphere  lovely,  people  sharing  their  own  knowledge  –  the  project  connects  with  people’s  everyday  life.’    Visitors  are  observed  to  be  asking  for  tips  for  cooking  in  new  ways  and  adopting  some  of  the  methods  demonstrated  at  edible  forest.  One  observation  notes  that  a  teenager:  ‘wants  to  be  a  chef  so  interested  in  lots  of  different  food  sources  –  wants  to  know  where  can  find  out  more  info  on  foraging.’    Discussing  approaches  to  conserving  land  and  developing  forest  gardens  were  also  observed.    For  example,  one  observation  notes:  ‘[researcher]  takes  her  through  all  the  different  plants  that  might  work  well,  asks  what  she  already  has  on  there/whether  she  knows…In  a  rush  as  woman  is  stall  owner  and  needs  to  get  back  –  exchange  details  to  talk  further.’    One  of  the  observations  commented:  ‘Music  in  next  stand  makes  conversation  a  little  trickier  but  also  creates  a  nice  atmosphere.’   The  Creative  Producer  observed  that  the  audience  were  varied  in  age.  The  weather  was  observed  to  have  a  demonstrable  impact  on  engagement.    For  the  first  and  third  day  the  weather  was  considered  to  be  ‘quite  cold  and  rainy’  but  the  middle  day  was  a  ‘fine  weather  day’  and  engagement  was  observed  to  be  ‘markedly  better’.  Whilst  the  show  was  very  busy,  the  Edible  Forest  location  had  a  good  constant  flow  of  people  but  was  not  too  crowded.    

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The  Royal  Cornwall  Show  stalls  were  generally  promoting  or  selling  something,  and  therefore  the  Creative  Producer  observed  that  people  ‘tended  to  assume  we  had  an  agenda…  so  it  took  a  while  for  them  to  ‘get’  the  project’.  However,  the  forest  garden  and  edible  plant  subject  was  considered  to  be  an  excellent  fit  to  the  context  of  an  agricultural  show.  Visitors  who  engaged  demonstrated  interested  and  often  sustained  interaction.    The  Creative  Producer  observed  that  the  event  ‘enabled  connections  to  be  made  between  the  lead  research  collaborator  (from  Exeter  University)  and  local/regional  organisations/representatives.  These  included  Cornwall  Council  (in  relation  to  a  green  infrastructure  project)  and  the  WI.’    An  agricultural  show  may  therefore  be  a  relevant  location  to  develop  connections  that  may  lead  to  new  partnerships  and  collaborations  for  an  appropriate  project,  potentially  leading  to  greater  research  impact.      

11. Impacts  on  participants  –  Comment  Cards    Participants  were  asked  if  they  enjoyed  Edible  Forest  at  the  Royal  Cornwall  Show  and  asked  to  rate  their  enjoyment  on  a  scale  of  1:  (did  not  enjoy  at  all)  to  10:  (enjoyed  very  much).    All  participants  (40  out  of  40)  scored  their  enjoyment  in  the  top  three  scores  (8-­‐10).    Three  quarters  (30  out  of  40  people)  scored  their  enjoyment  as  a  10.        The  strong  evidence  of  enjoyment  of  activities  supports  the  observations  suggesting  that  people  engaged  meaningfully  and  with  enjoyment  in  the  activities.  The  detail  is  as  follows:    Number  of  people   Score  30   10  7   9  3   8    Edible  Forest  impact  on  participant’s  interest  in  science  24  out  of  the  40  participants  said  that  they  were  now  a  lot  more  interested  in  science  because  of  Edible  Forest  and  a  further  15  said  that  they  were  a  little  more  interested  in  science.  Edible  Forest  had  positively  impacted  on  participants  interest  in  science  for  all  but  one  person.  That  person  commented  that  the  project  had  not  impacted  on  their  interest  because  they  were  already  interested  in  science.  No  participants  said  they  were  less  interested,  or  that  the  project  had  a  negative  impact  on  their  interest  in  science.      Participants  were  asked  if  their  experience  with  Edible  Forest  made  them  more  or  less  likely  to  engage  with  other  science  events,  programmes,  festivals  or  activities  in  the  future.  Participants  were  asked  to  score  on  a  scale  of  one  to  ten  with  1  (a  lot  less  likely)  to  10  (a  lot  more  likely).        37  people  scored  in  the  top  four  scores  (score  7-­‐10)  with  50%  of  people  (20  people)  scoring  10:  that  they  were  now  a  lot  more  likely  to  engage  with  other  science  based  activities.  One  person  did  not  score  this  answer,  and  one  person  who  scored  6,  made  the  additional  comment  ‘I  like  to  engage  with  science  regularly’.  The  detail  follows:    Number  of  people   Score  20   10  6   9  7   8  4   7  2   6  When  asked  ‘How  did  you  find  out  about  Edible  Forest?’  The  majority:  34  people,  had  found  out  by  walking  past  the  activity.  Four  people  had  found  out  through  communications  from  the  Royal  Cornwall  

14    

Show.  Two  people  had  been  recommended  by  others,  and  one  person  commented  that  they  had  found  out  by  ‘other’  means,  and  specified  that  this  was  from  The  Royal  Cornwall  Stand.      Participants  were  asked  to  comment  on  what  was  the  best  part  of  Edible  Forest  activity  today?    Participants  gave  a  diversity  of  answers  which  were  about  learning,  tasting  and  sharing  information.  All  comments  were  strongly  positive.  Participants  discussed:    

• Learning  new  information  about  plants  and  new  knowledge.      

• Enjoying  the  knowledge  of  the  people  on  the  stall,  meeting  people  and  learning  and  sharing  information.  Three  comments  follow:  

‘Chatting  about  it  with  people  who  care  and  understand.  Picking  up  names  to  contact  for  further  info.’  ‘Tea,  info,  likeminded  people’  ‘The  friendly  people  and  the  insight’    

• Enjoying  tasting,  eating  and  learning  about  plants.    For  example,  tasting  garlic  seed  pickle,  edible  mustard  flowers  and  stevia  were  some  highlights.  Other  comments  on  the  best  part  including  learning  regarding  nutrition,  foraging.    Three  comments  follow;  

‘Learning  that  more  plants  are  edible’  ‘Discovering  the  hidden  benefits  of  plants/herbs’  ‘Sampling  the  incredible  tasting  leaves’    Did  anything  surprise  you  about  the  activity  today?  All  comments  expressed  surprise  about  some  element  of  the  activity,  and  were  mainly  about  learning  about  edible  plants  and  their  taste.  No  comments  said  ‘no’  in  answer  to  the  question.    In  summary,  the  comments  demonstrate:    Surprise  about  the  knowledge  and  accessibility  of  the  stallholders;  surprise  about  specific  plant  knowledge  and  taste;  surprise  as  to  the  extent  of  edible  plants;  and  surprise  about  the  whole  project  of  Edible  Forest.  A  selection  of  comments  are  grouped  together  and  quoted  below:  

• How  accessible  the  stallholders  were  /  Their  advice  and  enthusiasm  /  The  work  put  in  to  teach  others  

• The  wild  mustard  /  I  can  grow  sea  buckthorn!  /How  sweet  the  stevia  is  /  Radish  relish;  usually  hate,  X's  was  lovely!  /  Mushroom  plant  /  Tearing  instead  of  cutting  lettuce  releases  more  nutrients  

• Amount  of  edible  plants  /how  much  we  can  eat  /  The  variety  of  edibles  /  how  easy  finding  edible  plants  is  /  Edible  hostas!  /  Eating  plants  you  didn't  think  was  possible  /  you  can  eat  Japanese  knotweed  

• Different  tastes  /  Tastes  of  plants  • The  wide  extent  of  permaculture  /  The  range  of  things  you  can  make  • The  edible  forest  

 Participants  were  asked  on  the  comment  cards  the  following  question:  Are  you  interested  in  setting  up  your  own  forest  garden?  Why/why  not?  27  people  indicated  that  they  were  interested  in  setting  up  their  own  forest  garden,  with  one  person  already  having  a  forest  garden.  Another  person  was  already  growing  a  range  of  wild  edible  plants,  and  a  further  two  people  noted  that  they  already  have  smallholdings,  with  one  interested  in  self-­‐sufficiency.  Three  people  indicated  they  may  be  interested  and  observed  that  they  had  been  encouraged  to  engage  further  in  edible  plants  through  Edible  Forest.    Four  people  said  No,  with  one  person  giving  a  reason:  ‘I  travel  a  great  deal’.  Samples  of  further  information  on  those  who  said  yes  is  as  follows:    • I  would  consider  on  a  small  scale  • I  will  have  a  good  try.    • It  will  improve  our  herb  garden  • To  eat  less  from  shops  

15    

• When  I  have  a  garden  • It's  more  sustainable  • In  theory,  yes.  In  practice  -­‐  time  • Health  benefits,  free!  

 Participants  were  also  asked:  What  tastes  did  you  most  enjoy  and  least  enjoy?  Why?  Answers  to  this  question  are  challenging  to  analyse  as  most  people  appear  to  have  answered  this  question  with  what  they  most  enjoyed.        Participants  at  Green  Man  Festival  had  commented  particularly  on  the  Chocolate  mint  and  stevia,  and  likewise  at  the  Royal  Cornwall  Show,  the  chocolate  mint  and  stevia  appeared  to  be  the  most  noticeable  and  enjoyable  taste,  with  10  people  (out  of  40)  commenting  on  these  tastes.  The  garlic  seeds  were  mentioned  by  three  people.    Two  people  commented  on  the  jam  and  three  on  enjoyment  of  tasting  mustard  plant.    One  person  said:  ‘Paraguayan  leaves  amazing’  and  another  two  people  enjoyed  the  medlar  jelly.    Other  comments  on  enjoyable  tastes  included  on  the  jerky,  the  tea,  Sicily  seed,  Hawthorn  fruit  leather,  Knot  weed  chutney.    The  only  tastes  mentioned  that  people  did  not  seem  to  enjoy  were  the  rose  and  elderflower  tea  which  two  people  noted  they  did  not  enjoy,  and  one  person  noted  that  they  liked  the  salad  roll  the  most,  and  the  valerian  the  least.    Six  people  suggested  that  they  had  enjoyed  everything,  and  examples  of  comments  follow:  

• Enjoyed  all  the  samples  and  surprised  how  pungent  and  delicious  a  small  amount  could  be.  It  all  tasted  good.  

• Loved  all  of  it  • It  was  a  good  experience  to  try  a  range  of  foods  that  can  be  foraged  locally  

   

12. Improvements  and  suggestions    When  asked  on  the  comment  cards  what  would  you  change  or  improve?  Ten  people  said  ‘nothing’  or  N/A.  Four  people  requested  ‘more’,  one  of  the  four  comments  just  said  ‘more’,  and  the  other  three  commented  that  they  wanted  more:  ‘take  away  info’;  ‘publicity’  and  ‘local  knowledge’.  Three  further  people  suggested  further  information  to  take  away  for  example:  

• Pictures  of  plants  to  take  away  so  I  know  which  ones  to  pick  -­‐  recipes  • Show  where  more  resources  available  online  • Labelled  information  with  names  and  places  to  buy/get  

 Two  comments  appeared  to  be  more  about  improvements  to  the  participants  own  lives  following  their  engagement  with  Edible  Forest:  

• Grow  more,  eat  more  that's  available  • Using  more  natural  wild  plants  for  myself  and  schools/clubs  etc  and  smallholders