Paul Gautschi's Garden Tours - Closed Permanently!

Paul Gautschi, Founder of the Back to Eden Gardening method, Photo by Dana Richardson

​The End of Paul's Garden Tours 
Nature teaches us that everything has its appropriate time and season. Theres a time to plant seeds a time for blooming a time for fruiting and even resting. 

We just got off a call with Paul and he shared some shocking news. Paul has​ asked us to announce to the Back to Eden Gardening community that has decided he will no longer be able to offer tours of his gardens and orchards, indefinitely.​ For the past decade, we have helped announce Paul Gautschi's garden tour dates that opened every June 1st to eagerly awaiting growers like you. ​Large groups of people​ have regularly flocked to his property in Sequim, Washinton, United States from all over the world  to learn and taste his​ mouth-watering food.​ His abundance of harvest has filled the mouths and hands of hundreds of visitors every summer! Paul always smiles and joyfully exclaims, "you can't even tell anyone was here picking things, everything grows so fast and abundantly!" Paul has never asked for anything in return. He has always selflessly insisted that it is his purpose and privilege to share and it's not about him, it's all about God. We give thanks to Paul for the above and beyond generosity he has shared with so many visitors over the years​ out of the kindness of his own heart. 

​Why Paul is No Longer Giving Garden Tours
As many of you know, Paul's nervous system was affected by Agent Orange during Vietnam War which has degenerated Paul's ability to walk over time. Agent Orange is a powerful herbicide that was used by U.S. military forces during the Vietnam War to eliminate forest cover and crops from 1961 to 1971. Agent Orange contains the deadly chemical dioxin that was later proven to cause serious health issues among the those exposed to it. Considering the devastating impacts of exposure to Agent Orange on human health, Paul remains incredibly strong, healthy, and enduring aside from his difficulty walking. Paul attributes his resilience to the nutrient-dense food he grows and eats daily as his medicine. Paul is still able to get around on his own and tend to his gardens, orchards, and chickens. However, he feels his walking has become too slow to give tours any longer. 

Visitors from China on a Tour at Paul's Garden, Photo by Dana Richardson

Give Back to Paul
​Our first question to Paul​ when he shared the news was if there is anything we could do to help, such as a fundraiser for any of his potential medical needs. Of course, Paul humbly declined this offer and responded that there is nothing that can be done medically.​ However, we want to​ ask for your help to celebrate Paul and show him how much he means to all of us. ​It is important to celebrate those​ people who have blessed our lives​ and positively impacted us. Paul Gautschi is surely at the top of many of our lists of people to be grateful for.​ Many of you have enjoyed the privilege of touring​​ Paul's property in person sometime in the past decade. ​Many others have freely watched the documentary and learned how to grow food in a life changing way from across the globe! ​​If you have ever had the privilege to tour Paul's gardens or  have been impacted by him in any way we ask you to please take a moment to give back to Paul. Write him a letter, give him a call, and send him a check if you are able! He would never ask this for donations for himself, that's why we are asking on his behalf for everyone to show their appreciation and support for Paul and his family.​

How to Contact Paul Gautschi
Paul made it very clear that the end of his tours does not mean the end of his connection with you all. Paul is enthusiastic to continue staying a part of new and experienced Back to Eden Gardeners' lives. He is happy to connect with you by phone or "snail mail" and hopes to hear from you all. Remember Paul does NOT use a computer ever. This means if you want to pass on a message or a question to him, the best way is to connect with him directly via phone or letter.

CONTACT PAUL

Upcoming Events With Paul​
You surely haven't seen the last of Paul! We will do our best to help keep you connected with Paul by sharing new videos, news and interviews we plan on producing with Paul in the near future. Paul will also be a speaker in upcoming virtual events we will be hosting like the Future of Food Summit, Fall 2022. We told Paul that he would be amazed at the countless videos uploaded by visitors over the years that are now streaming online sharing his tours. He seemed pleased to hear that the legend of his tours could live on. People can still watch videos of Paul's tours for years to come and experience a taste of his incredible tours. At the end of our call, I said to Paul to lighten the mood "enjoy your restful Sundays, you deserve it!" Paul laughed and responded, "I will."​

Watch  Video: ​"Behind-the-Scenes of Back to Eden Film" ​ 
​In this timing, it seems perfect to share with you a new video montage of Paul Gautschi in his gardens and orchards. ​​In honor of Paul, we are excited to invite you to watch raw footage from "Behind-the-Scenes of Making Back to Eden Film." (see video above). Stored safely for over a decade these videos have never been shared until now!  In 2011, we produced and directed Back to Eden Film​. We documented Paul Gautschi daily in his gardens and orchards for a year, learning incredible things every growing season. Paul became a close friend and mentor to us. He patiently shared his unique knowledge of growing food and his gifted ability to understand the ​intricate ​details of God's design in creation. Paul's deep faith, generous character, and contagious enthusiasm continue to impact our lives and the lives of millions of people worldwide who witness his story​ for the first time. We hope you get inspired to grow the best-tasting food on earth, spread generosity to all people, and join the Back to Eden Gardening movement!

We cataloged hundreds of hours of footage that didn't make it into the final cut of the film. This is just a taste of some of our favorite clips from behind the scenes.

Sincerely,
Dana Richardson & Sarah Zentz 
Back to Eden ​Gardeners & ​Filmmakers