Info contained is not new--I am a Ruth Stout & Lee Reich fan with no sermon included.

SoTX is correct, this isn't new. I found the movie very interesting as far as the method is concerned, but the bible references are a bit much, especially considering that the Canadian research on ramial chipped wood began in 1978 and continued for over 20 years, and an even earlier experiment was done using hardwood chips at Cornell University that spanned 15 years, from 1951-1966.

Professor Gilles Lemieux and his associates provide a lot of background on their years of research in their published articles on the web. I find it difficult to believe that Paul Gautschi has never heard about ramial chipped wood, and yet he doesn't mention it in the film or on his website. He implies that he was the first to use wood chips for gardening, even though the Canadians were researching this for many years before he ever tried it and they published many articles on the subject. They have much more detailed information in their articles and they provide scientific explanations of why it works so well, what species of trees work best, and what species should not be used. From what I read in one article, the info on ramial chipped wood has been on the internet since 1997. Did God tell Paul how to use wood chips to grow crops or did he just read about ramial chipped wood, and then purposefully leave out some details that he wouldn't be able to convincingly explain to people about how he acquired that knowledge? You decide. I think that when people spend many years of their lives working hard and consequently make important discoveries, they deserve the credit for those discoveries.

Ramial Chipped Wood Articles

Ramial Chipped Wood: The Clue to a Sustainable Fertile Soil

Redefining Soil Fertility

The Hidden World that Feeds Us: the Living Soil

Back To Eden

Back To Eden FAQ

Here is a study of mulching systems, including wood chips, in organic apple orchards from Washington State University, Paul's home state. These experiments began in 1999. The study was "presented at the Northwest Symposium on Organic and Biologically Intensive Farming, Nov. 8, 2002, Yakima, WA. Summarizes the past 3 years of orchard mulching trials in Wenatchee."
Mulching Systems for Weed Control, Water Conservation,
and Nitrogen Management in Organic Apple Orchards

Here are some others from Washington State University that examined the use of wood chips in orchards, among other mulches. Orchard Floor Management