Join a unique journey into the edible garden with Stephen Barstow – known as “The Extreme Salad Man” and one of Norway’s foremost experts on perennial food plants! Stephen has been collecting, growing and experimenting with edible plants from around the world for over 40 years – with a particular focus on perennials that come back year after year. In his gardens in Malvik and Trondheim, he has over 2000 different edible plants, and he is known for his diverse dishes, inspired by the Mediterranean diet, and has held a world record for over 20 years, with a salad with 537 plants at home in The Edible Garden! In this talk, Stephen shares his unique knowledge and passion for a more sustainable and robust way of growing food. You will learn about and get inspiration for: Perennial vegetables that thrive in our northern climate with a special focus on Northern Norway. How to create a beautiful, environmentally friendly and edible garden that provides food throughout the season.
Exciting plants and projects he is working on right now. Perennial food plants require less maintenance, water and fertilizer and are often better adapted to local conditions, tolerate a varying climate and many grow best in cold weather and in the shade. They are less attacked by pests and harmful fungi and are thus easier to grow organically without the need for plastic such as floating mulches. They are more robust in the face of climate change and bind more carbon. They often have a higher nutritional content than conventional vegetables. They contribute to increased biodiversity: for example, they provide food for a variety of insects in that most of them flower. They double as ornamental plants or so-called edimentals. They will be able to make an important contribution to future food security and decrease the need for imported food. Stephen Barstow is the author of the book Around the World in 80 Plants, is a visiting researcher at NTNU Ringve Botanical Garden in Trondheim where he has established the Onion Garden Chicago and is a board member of Væres Venners Community Garden where he has established the World Garden, a collection of over 200 perennial food plants from around the world. He led the organisation KVANN (Norwegian Seed Savers) for several years and is today a plant science adviser to the board. In recent years, Stephen has collaborated with a number of artists interested in the interaction of food and art. The film Extreme Salad Man was shown at the National Museum in Oslo last year and last winter in Seattle as part of the New Nordic Exhibition (it will also be shown at Stamsund under the festival). He is considered a pioneer in permaculture and perennial food plants and has given lectures and courses internationally and is an inspiring communicator with an infectious commitment to the world of useful plants.