Urban Foraging in a Community of Place--Atlanta's Browns Mill Community

USDA Forest Service OMB # 0596-0243

Expires 10-31-2020

Wild Food Collecting in

Atlanta’s Browns Mill Community

Hi, I’m working with the Greening Youth Program, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, to conduct a survey of residents’ knowledge and attitudes about picking things like berries or collecting nuts in the Browns Mill community.

Would it be possible to speak with the person at home 18 or older who most recently had a birthday?

[If you are already speaking with the appropriate adult, continue reading the introduction.]

[If the appropriate adult comes to the door, repeat first paragraph and continue below.]

[If the adult with the most recent birthday is not available, leave survey and manila envelope with respondent to pick up later that day or next day by noon.]

[If the person who answers the door refuses to allow you to speak to the person 18 older, record contact as a “refused.”

As you may or may not know, a “Food Forest” is being established on Browns Mill Rd., just south of J.W. Dobbs Elementary school. The food forest will be a natural area with plants like fruit and nut trees, herbs, and other plant-based foods that people can eat.

We would like to get an idea of how familiar you may be with collecting these types of wild foods from any place like your yard, the woods, or roadsides. For instance, people may collect pecans or pick berries, wild greens, or mushrooms from vacant lots or a neighbor’s yard. Again, these are not plants that people intentionally plant but that grow wild.

This information will help the City of Atlanta better plan for the Brown’s Mill Food Forest by including people’s opinions about wild food collecting into plans for possible future Food Forests in the city.

The survey should take 10 minutes or less to complete, including time to hear these instructions. Participation in this survey is voluntary, and you may skip any question or stop responding at any time. The answers you provide will be kept strictly confidential. If you have any questions about the survey, you may contact Dr. Cassandra Johnson Gaither with the U.S. Forest Service. Her contact information and other information about the survey are on this sheet. [Hand information sheet to respondent].

If the survey is completed today, this is the only time you will be contacted about this survey; there are no follow-ups. Thank you very much for your cooperation!

Is this a good time to answer a few questions?

[If yes, continue below, if not, reschedule interview.]

If respondent does not have time to complete the survey at the door, attempt to secure a commitment from them to complete a survey that you leave at the door. If the respondent agrees, leave a survey and manila envelope with him/her and schedule time to pick it up—later that day or next day by noon.

If respondent refuses, record as refused.

Okay, here’s the first question:

1. Have you ever picked or gathered any kind of wild growing fruit, nut, greens, or mushroom?

• Yes, I have picked in the last 5 years [Skip to Q3]

• Yes, but it has been more than 5 years

• No

2. If you have never picked wild foods or it has been more than five years since you picked, what are some reasons that prevent you from doing so? Select all that apply:

• No interest

• Don’t know how to collect wild foods

• Don’t know where any wild foods are

• Don’t know where I would be allowed to pick wild foods

• Lack of time

• Have physical or health limitations

• Don’t have anyone to pick or collect with

• Worry about picking and eating something poisonous

• Worry about picking and eating something contaminated with chemicals

• Don’t like being in nature or outside

• Fear of wild animals like snakes

• Worried about my personal safety

• Other _________________________________________________________

3. Would you pick or gather wild foods in this neighborhood if you knew about foods that are safe to pick?

• Yes [Skip to Q5]

• No

• Not sure

4. If you would not pick or gather in this neighborhood, would you pick or gather wild foods in another Atlanta neighborhood or a place outside of the city?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

5. What are your views on the Browns Mill Food Forest?

• I would probably pick or gather food there.

• I am not interested in picking or gathering from that place.

• I do not know enough about it to make a decision.

Now, please tell me how you feel about the following 4 statements.

6. I see other people in my neighborhood gathering or picking wild foods.

Often Sometimes Rarely

•  

7. The grocery store or other markets are the best places to get vegetables, fruits, nuts, or herbs.

Disagree Neutral Agree

  

8. Wild foods can provide a good source of healthy foods for people.

Disagree Neutral Agree

  

9. I would be embarrassed if people saw me picking wild food or collecting it from the ground?

Disagree Neutral Agree

•  

[If respondent has not picked wild foods or has not done so in the past five years, skip to Demographic Information section on page 8.]

Picking Experience

10. How often do you pick or collect wild foods?

• 3-4 times per month, in season

• About once every 3 months

• Couple times per year

• About once every year

11. What times/seasons during the year do you collect? Select all that apply:

• Winter

• Spring

• Summer

• Fall

• All seasons

12. How or from whom did you first learn about picking wild foods? Select all that apply:

• Family

• Friend

• Books

• Internet

• Other people who collect

• Picking events (e.g., walks, workshops, Meetup groups)

• Other: _______________________________________________________________

13. Where do you get information about picking? Select all that apply:

• Family

• Friends

• Books

• Internet

• Other people who collect

• Picking events (e.g., walks, workshops, Meetup groups)

• I don’t seek out information about foraging.

14. With whom do you collect wild food? Please select all that apply.

• I usually collect alone

• Family members

• Friends

• Other: _______________________________________________________________

15. Do you collect with children under age 18?

• No

• Yes

16. Please tell us what kind of things you have collected or picked (place check next to name) in the first column and then tell us which part or parts you collect by placing a check mark in the appropriate box(es). If you do not collect or pick, skip this question.

	Common Name	Whole Plant or Mushroom	Berries	Roots	Leaves	Branches	Flowers	Nuts	Other
	blackberry
	blueberry
	cactus
	cherry
	chickweed
	crabapple
	dandelion greens
	elderberry
	fig
	Flying dragon
	ginkgo
	loquat
	mulberry
	mushroom
	pawpaw
	peach
	pear
	Pecan
	plum
	pokeweed
	pomegranate
	Prickly pear
	quince
	raspberry
	service berry
	walnut
	Other______

17. How much of what you collect do you typically use yourself?

• All or almost all of it

• About three quarters

• About half

• About one quarter

• None of it

18. If not all of it, what do you do with the rest of it? Select all that apply:

• Shared or given as gifts

• Traded or bartered

• Sold

• Other: _____________________________________

19. If applicable, where or to whom do you sell it?

• Farmers market

• Restaurant

• Grocery or health food store

• Floral market

• Other: ______________________________________

Wild food locations

20. How far from home do you typically go to collect or pick wild food?

• Within 1 mile

• 1-10 miles

• More than 10 miles

• Would rather not say

21. What kinds of places do you go to collect or pick wild food: (choose all that apply)

• Yards and home gardens

• Along streets

• Vacant lots

• Parks

• Other ___________________________

Motivations for collecting wild food

22. What are the 3 most important reasons why you pick wild plants or mushroom? You may list more if you like.

1. ______________________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________________

23. What does picking wild plants or mushrooms mean to you? Have there been any especially happy or meaningful times you picked wild plants or mushrooms that you would be willing to tell us about?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Demographic Information

We’d like to ask you some questions about where you live, your age, race, ethnicity, and education level.

24. What race or races do you consider yourself to be? Select all that apply (show list to respondent):

• American Indian or Alaska Native

• Asian

• Black or African American

• Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

• White

• Other: ___________________________________________________

• Don’t know

• Would rather not say

25. Do you consider yourself to be Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin?

• No

• Yes

26. What year were you born? _____________

• Would rather not say

27. How do you identify your gender?

• Male

• Female

• Other

• Would rather not say

28. What is the highest level of education you have completed?

• Less than high school

• High school, GED, or equivalent

• Associate’s degree

• Bachelor’s degree

• Graduate degree

• Other: _____________

• Would rather not say

29. What is your household’s annual income?

 <$20,000

 $20,000-$39,999

 $40,000-$59,999

 $60,000-$79,999

 $80,000-$99,999

 $100,000-$150,000

 Over $150,000

 Would rather not say

Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0596-0243. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 10 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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