The documentary takes a very holistic and common sense approach to the subject of gardening in tune with nature that makes it worth watching. -Rodale Institute
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An interesting 103-minute film that balances Gautschi’s religious interpretation of wood chip mulch with comments by soil experts and organic farmers. -Mother Earth News
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Never watered, weeded, or chemically fertilized, Paul Gautschi's home orchard is nevertheless extremely productive and free of disease. -Sunset Magazine
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Back To Eden is about Paul Gautschi, called a “garden evangelists” by one person in the film. The filmmakers have given us a fascinating look at this curious personality. -Planet Natural
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Inspires faith Julian Cribb
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BACK TO EDEN is a Christian documentary about Paul Gautschi, who grew up in Los Angeles tending a family garden. When Paul married, he moved to Washington State and built a house with room for a grove and garden. After years of struggling to grow a garden, he asked God for help. God showed Paul a nearby forest that grew just fine without work or watering because the ground gets covered annually with leaves, limbs and organic material. Paul covered the ground under the trees in his orchard with wood chips and later used wood chips in a garden. The result was remarkable. There’s no need to water and very little need to weed. The food is amazing.
Paul’s appreciation for God is infectious. He gives God the credit for his success. The title BACK TO EDEN is based on Paul’s belief the salvation through Jesus Christ restores a broken relationship to God that’s personal and enjoyable, which is the way God intended in the Garden of Eden. He believes God delights in showing us the wonderful things He created for our benefit. - Movie Guide Movie Review
Paul’s appreciation for God is infectious. He gives God the credit for his success. The title BACK TO EDEN is based on Paul’s belief the salvation through Jesus Christ restores a broken relationship to God that’s personal and enjoyable, which is the way God intended in the Garden of Eden. He believes God delights in showing us the wonderful things He created for our benefit. - Movie Guide Movie Review
See ‘Back to Eden’ Film to Learn About Using Wood Chip Mulch
As a big fan of wood chip mulch, I watched with great interest the popular documentary film Back to Eden, the first-ever feature-length movie on mulch. The Back to Eden film profiles the wood-chip-mulched garden of Paul Gautschi, a devout Christian who grows vegetables and fruits on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. The film’s producer, evangelist Michael Barrett, wisely enlisted the help of Dana Richardson and Sarah Zentz of Dana & Sarah Films to make the film, which can be viewed free at backtoedenfilm.com.
The result is an interesting 103-minute film that balances Gautschi’s religious interpretation of wood chip mulch with comments by soil experts, organic farmers, and the stable owner where Gautschi gets his horse manure.
Mentioning horse manure up front gives away part of the plot, but experienced organic gardeners may find Gautschi’s opening claims that his garden needs no fertilizer too off-putting to continue. A Bible whiz, Gautschi considers wood chip mulch a gift from God that is being released at the perfect time in history, no fertilizer required. Relax. Thirty minutes into the film we meet the chickens — perhaps 30 of them — and watch our hero composting their manure. Pardon the correction, but for several thousand years people have called this substance fertilizer. Ditto for the horse manure previously mentioned.
Back to Eden is worth staying with because of the astute observations made by the many people involved in Gautschi’s circle of mulch. Speaking from a mountain of wood chips, organic farmer Justin Riddle uses the phrase “passive tillage” to explain how the combination of root crops and deep wood chip mulch is opening up his compacted soil. In an area that receives less than 20 inches of rain each year, Riddle notes that wood chip mulch radically reduces the need to water many crops. Nurseryman Ji Douglas appears several times in the film, eloquently explaining how wood chip mulch increases the oxygen supply in the soil, which in turn attracts microbes and earthworms, and other fundamental aspects of wood chip mulch ecology.
The film moves on to the next logical question — How will this work in other places? — when a family from Pennsylvania starts a wood mulch garden with similar missionary zeal. Here things get gritty as we learn there is more involved in going “back to Eden” than spreading wood chips. - Mother Earth News Magazine Film Review
The result is an interesting 103-minute film that balances Gautschi’s religious interpretation of wood chip mulch with comments by soil experts, organic farmers, and the stable owner where Gautschi gets his horse manure.
Mentioning horse manure up front gives away part of the plot, but experienced organic gardeners may find Gautschi’s opening claims that his garden needs no fertilizer too off-putting to continue. A Bible whiz, Gautschi considers wood chip mulch a gift from God that is being released at the perfect time in history, no fertilizer required. Relax. Thirty minutes into the film we meet the chickens — perhaps 30 of them — and watch our hero composting their manure. Pardon the correction, but for several thousand years people have called this substance fertilizer. Ditto for the horse manure previously mentioned.
Back to Eden is worth staying with because of the astute observations made by the many people involved in Gautschi’s circle of mulch. Speaking from a mountain of wood chips, organic farmer Justin Riddle uses the phrase “passive tillage” to explain how the combination of root crops and deep wood chip mulch is opening up his compacted soil. In an area that receives less than 20 inches of rain each year, Riddle notes that wood chip mulch radically reduces the need to water many crops. Nurseryman Ji Douglas appears several times in the film, eloquently explaining how wood chip mulch increases the oxygen supply in the soil, which in turn attracts microbes and earthworms, and other fundamental aspects of wood chip mulch ecology.
The film moves on to the next logical question — How will this work in other places? — when a family from Pennsylvania starts a wood mulch garden with similar missionary zeal. Here things get gritty as we learn there is more involved in going “back to Eden” than spreading wood chips. - Mother Earth News Magazine Film Review
When you look at the incredible landscape on planet Earth, all the different terrains, the varying soil conditions, the awesome water features, oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, the waterfalls, the different climates, the huge amounts of plants and groundcovers, the requirements are so varied. Can one fathom how big project that is? When God "designed" the landscape project for planet Earth he was so genius, he "designed" it in such a way that he would never have to show up at work. It is completely self sustained. Paul says that the ground is a living organism, and as all living organisms the ground too has some sort of protection cover. We have skin to protect us, the animals have fur, fish have scales, birds have feathers, and the soil most of the time is covered with something. If you take the cover off the soil becomes vulnerable and it gets lost. Now the ground in the midwest looks almost scary. It's parched, cracked, hard, and almost looks like desert. There is no topsoil there because it's all blown or washed away. We're losing topsoil, and in nature it takes 100 years to build an inch of it. Apparently it's OK to lose around four tons of soil, per acre, per year, but is the soil forming at that rate? When the soil erodes the organic matter erodes and all the nutrients that were in the soil erode and that's a resource that's not there anymore. - Top Documentary Films Movie Review
Back to Eden — How Simple, Natural Methods Can Take the Work Out of Gardening, and Boost Your Harvest
The featured documentary, "Back to Eden," reveals a simple organic gardening method that not only can transform your personal garden, but may even be part of the food solution needed on a global scale. Far from being life sustaining, our modern, large-scale, chemical-dependent farming methods strip soil of nutrients, destroy critical soil microbes, contribute to the creation of deserts where nothing will grow, and saturate farmlands with toxic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers that then migrate into ground water, rivers, lakes and oceans. This video really inspired me and, after watching it, I called my local tree cutting service and was able to get three truckloads of wood chips dropped on my driveway for free. I then wheelbarreled them onto my landscape. The great thing about the wood chips is that they are waste and most companies will give you all you want. I plan on adding more every few months. One important aspect I learned, though, is that the wood chip pile will tend to decompose rather rapidly if you don't spread it on your landscape right away. So, it's best to spread the chips over a few days and not leave it in a pile. Otherwise you will wind up needing to wear a mask to avoid inhaling the dust when you use a pitchfork to move the chips into your wheelbarrel. I am convinced that "Back to Eden's" gardener, Paul Gautschi, makes loads of sense and that this is a crucial part of the equation for creating healthy soil to produce healthy plants. Wood chips not only seem to eliminate the need for any fertilizer or mineral supplements, but also to help reduce watering and make weeding a snap. - Dr. Mercola Movie Review
Film of the Week Back to Eden: Simple. Sustainable. Solutions.
Back to Eden is a new feature documentary that follows one man's revolutionary approach to organic gardening. "It's all about the covering!" is how Paul Gautschi enthusiastically describes his gardening method that mimics the self sustaining design of nature. The film shows how gardeners and farmers worldwide can easily transform their agricultural practice into a simple and productive process of growing food. Revealing critical issues such as soil preparation, fertilization, irrigation, weed and pest control, crop rotation, and pH issues, the documentary focuses on proactive solutions, leaving the delving into the background politics to preceding documentary films such as Food, Inc. and Dirt! Back to Eden offers not only a fresh perspective on critical environmental issues but digs deeper into true stories of experiencing faith, seeking relationship and the power of forming community. Highlighted interviews include specialists in human ecology, nutrition, horticulture, and agriculture. - Organic Consumers Association Movie Review
Back to Eden: The Fruit is Sweeter When You Break the Rules
Paul Gautschi is a rebel in the garden. He breaks most of the gardening “rules” you’ve ever known, yet he produces lush, abundant harvests that are as sweet and juicy as anything you’ve ever tasted. He doesn’t fertilize, rarely waters, and doesn’t till his soil or rotate crops. He never has issues with bugs and his weeds are easy to pull. His most pressing problem in the garden is growing too much food and figuring out what to do with it. Paul’s unconventional style has garnered attention thanks to a documentary called Back to Eden. (You can watch it for free at backtoedenfilm.com). The film takes you to Paul’s home garden in Sequim, WA, and shows you first-hand the success he has by breaking traditional gardening rules. He’ll tell you how he constantly does things that aren’t supposed to work just to prove the experts wrong. I have visited his home twice over the years, and can stand witness to the simplicity, low-maintenance, and sweet taste of his garden. So, what’s his secret? It’s all about the covering. Every inch of Paul’s garden is covered in a layer of woodchips. He never mixes the woodchips with the soil, though, or else the chips would leach nitrogen from the soil. He simply layers the woodchips on top of the garden. As time passes, the chips decompose and feed the earth with minerals. Instead of the soil being depleted at the end of the season, the woodchips ensure the soil is constantly being fed and renewed. The covering creates rich, healthy soil, which in turn creates healthy, vibrant plants. - Maximum Yield Magazine Movie Review
Back To Eden Gardening: Rich Soil Done Nature’s Way
Have you heard of the Back to Eden gardening method? If not, you should. This gardening technique will greatly improve your soil tilth and fertility over time. It promises a major reduction in tough weeds and the ability to grow almost everywhere. Water conservationists should rejoice, as this technique is great for drought conditions. But what exactly is the Back To Eden gardening method? Let’s break it down to a barebones layout of how it works and how to do your own. It does take time, but it will reduce your labor over future years and make gardening an enjoyable, easy task.
Paul Gautschi, the creator of the Back to Eden method, is a devout Christian. His beliefs are consistently mentioned in the documentary film about the method. But it’s those beliefs which inspired him to garden as he does. Named after the Biblical “Garden of Eden”, this method focuses on nature’s process. In the Garden of Eden, Paul reasons, everything grew without man’s touch. There was an abundance of every plant needed to sustain life. And yet, nobody was out fertilizing the soil. How could these things grow? He found his answer by examining the forest floor near his property. Years of decomposed leaves, twigs, and other plant matter had formed rich mulch. From there, his game plan focused on how to get mulch like that to develop with human aid.
Since the soil is protected with this thick layer of decomposing matter, it is less prone to erosion. It does not bake in the sun, and it retains significantly more moisture. He experimented around his orchard trees and found that the method worked very well. But would it work the same for other plants such as vegetables? The answer, in short, is yes. Once the garden has become established over time, it becomes heavily productive. The thick natural mulch forms new soil over time and protects the older soil. Watering is almost completely unnecessary in his Pacific Northwestern environment. The mulch stores the rainwater, preventing it from evaporating away.
The film delves deep into his spirituality and where it interlinks with his garden. It’s clear when watching it that he is a man of strong faith. But the truth is plain for both believers and nonbelievers alike. In replenishing the rich, natural mulch that coats the soil, we have a chance at our own personal Eden at home. And that’s worth striving for! If you’d like to view the entire documentary yourself, by all means do! It’s a beautiful film and explains the origins of Back to Eden gardening completely. A free link to the video’s below, and you can purchase a DVD of it on the Back to Eden website.
Paul Gautschi, the creator of the Back to Eden method, is a devout Christian. His beliefs are consistently mentioned in the documentary film about the method. But it’s those beliefs which inspired him to garden as he does. Named after the Biblical “Garden of Eden”, this method focuses on nature’s process. In the Garden of Eden, Paul reasons, everything grew without man’s touch. There was an abundance of every plant needed to sustain life. And yet, nobody was out fertilizing the soil. How could these things grow? He found his answer by examining the forest floor near his property. Years of decomposed leaves, twigs, and other plant matter had formed rich mulch. From there, his game plan focused on how to get mulch like that to develop with human aid.
Since the soil is protected with this thick layer of decomposing matter, it is less prone to erosion. It does not bake in the sun, and it retains significantly more moisture. He experimented around his orchard trees and found that the method worked very well. But would it work the same for other plants such as vegetables? The answer, in short, is yes. Once the garden has become established over time, it becomes heavily productive. The thick natural mulch forms new soil over time and protects the older soil. Watering is almost completely unnecessary in his Pacific Northwestern environment. The mulch stores the rainwater, preventing it from evaporating away.
The film delves deep into his spirituality and where it interlinks with his garden. It’s clear when watching it that he is a man of strong faith. But the truth is plain for both believers and nonbelievers alike. In replenishing the rich, natural mulch that coats the soil, we have a chance at our own personal Eden at home. And that’s worth striving for! If you’d like to view the entire documentary yourself, by all means do! It’s a beautiful film and explains the origins of Back to Eden gardening completely. A free link to the video’s below, and you can purchase a DVD of it on the Back to Eden website.
Mulch Hits the Big Screen
In the battle over what constitutes healthy food, it’s no longer surprising to see the documentary film as an effective weapon, most often deployed on the side against corporate agriculture and for public health and well-being. Films including Food Inc, 2004’s Supersize Me, a month of nothing but McDonald’s, and most recently Fed Up which implicates a government-corporate collaboration to promote and reward refined sugar, are all convincing, visual arguments of the dangers of the commercial food culture.
Broadly about food, these films are specifically about processed foods, organic and locally raised farming, the health consequences of certain refined foods and fast-food diets. Related films include GMO/OMG , a study of the corporate takeover of farming through seed production, GMOs, and related pesticides. Now even documentaries championing organic gardening are getting into the act.
One of the better gardening films is 2011’s Back To Eden from producers/directors Dana Richardson & Sarah Zentz. It’s the first film that I know of that makes mulch a superstar. Back To Eden is about Paul Gautschi, called a “garden evangelists” by one person in the film, a man whose enthusiasm is as great as any you might have seen even though it’s directed at such a non-enthusiasm generating subject as garden mulch. God is the real co-star in this film, the designer of the original sustainable landscape whose secrets are there for those looking to find them. “God is a good guy,” Gautschi states at one point. “He gave us a sweet tooth.” That secrets revealed to Gautschi start in a visit to the forest. There he discovers trees growing from a wonderful carpet of compost and organic matter. He decides to recreate those conditions in his garden. Follow up lessons from on high include how deeply and in which layer to plant seed (in the soil, not the mulch on top) and that big wood chips will exhaust the soil of nitrogen as they slowly break down. What Gautschi does is keep his soil protected under a layer of composted chips, shavings, and sawdust. And this results in something of a Xeric miracle. He never waters either his fruit trees or his vegetables. And he gets superb harvests. The general idea is similar to the technique of sheet composting, otherwise called the “no-dig” method. Gautschi claims to use nothing but a rake — not a spade, not a fork, not a hoe — in his garden. - Planet Natural Movie Review
Broadly about food, these films are specifically about processed foods, organic and locally raised farming, the health consequences of certain refined foods and fast-food diets. Related films include GMO/OMG , a study of the corporate takeover of farming through seed production, GMOs, and related pesticides. Now even documentaries championing organic gardening are getting into the act.
One of the better gardening films is 2011’s Back To Eden from producers/directors Dana Richardson & Sarah Zentz. It’s the first film that I know of that makes mulch a superstar. Back To Eden is about Paul Gautschi, called a “garden evangelists” by one person in the film, a man whose enthusiasm is as great as any you might have seen even though it’s directed at such a non-enthusiasm generating subject as garden mulch. God is the real co-star in this film, the designer of the original sustainable landscape whose secrets are there for those looking to find them. “God is a good guy,” Gautschi states at one point. “He gave us a sweet tooth.” That secrets revealed to Gautschi start in a visit to the forest. There he discovers trees growing from a wonderful carpet of compost and organic matter. He decides to recreate those conditions in his garden. Follow up lessons from on high include how deeply and in which layer to plant seed (in the soil, not the mulch on top) and that big wood chips will exhaust the soil of nitrogen as they slowly break down. What Gautschi does is keep his soil protected under a layer of composted chips, shavings, and sawdust. And this results in something of a Xeric miracle. He never waters either his fruit trees or his vegetables. And he gets superb harvests. The general idea is similar to the technique of sheet composting, otherwise called the “no-dig” method. Gautschi claims to use nothing but a rake — not a spade, not a fork, not a hoe — in his garden. - Planet Natural Movie Review
Several weeks ago I saw a very interesting documentary and it has been on my mind since I saw it. The documentary is titled Back to Eden and it features home gardener Paul Gautschi and others who have discovered the benefits of using wood chips in the garden. I know this might not sound very exciting, but the documentary takes a very holistic and common sense approach to the subject of gardening in tune with nature that makes it worth watching.
The main premise of “Back to Eden” is that we should mimic what we see in nature in our gardens. Nature manages to grow the most productive ecosystems in the world with absolutely no input from man (like fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, irrigation). How? It simply recycles resources. Why shouldn’t we do the same in our gardens (and in agriculture in general)? Wouldn’t the world be a whole lot better off if we started growing food in a way that supported human health, the environment and the human spirit? I think it would. In nature the soil is always covered unless there is some type of disturbance. This cover could be dead grass, leaves, conifer needles, fallen logs, etc. These materials act like the skin of the soil by protecting it from environmental extremes and allowing a whole host of organisms to call the soil home. Believe it or not there’s a lot more than worms in there. These organisms provide valuable services for your plants, like nutrient cycling. So, it’s in our best interest to keep the soil healthy and soil cover is an essential part of this. While there are many options for soil cover (straw, rocks, grass clippings, leaves, etc.), wood chips are a great option because they contain a good balance of carbon to nitrogen to feed soil organisms (depending on how fresh the wood is and how much green leaf material it contains), they stay in place, and they do a good job at suppressing weeds. Also, wood chips help with moisture retention (when dry) and displacement (when very wet). You can also walk on wood chips with less compaction occurring in your soil. And when it comes time for harvest you have clean veggies! Besides chipping your own branches, a good free source of wood chips is your local tree service. Wood chips are a waste product for them and if you’re located on their route you can probably get them to deliver.
It’s important to reiterate that wood chips are a soil cover, They should not be heavily mixed into your soil. Your plants’ roots need to grow in soil and will not thrive in wood chips. A layer of wood chips on top of the soil will slowly break down and enrich your soil. Over time you can add wood chips less frequently as you’ve increased the organic matter and improved the structure and biology in your soil. To plant into wood chips use a rake or other tool to expose the soil you want to plant into. Remember, plants grow in soil, not mulch. Wood chips along with compost easily supply all the nutrients your soil needs, so fertilizers are unnecessary. Wood chips also retain moisture in the soil helping your plants grow with even moisture and reducing/eliminating the need to water. Any weed seeds that land on top of the wood chips are less likely to germinate and survive because they are not in contact with the soil. In addition, because wood chips build porous soil it makes weeds easier to pull out. With all this said, any natural soil covering will be beneficial to your garden. So, if you don’t have easy access to wood chips, use what is available to you. Don’t leave your soil naked! - Rodale Institute Movie Review
The main premise of “Back to Eden” is that we should mimic what we see in nature in our gardens. Nature manages to grow the most productive ecosystems in the world with absolutely no input from man (like fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, irrigation). How? It simply recycles resources. Why shouldn’t we do the same in our gardens (and in agriculture in general)? Wouldn’t the world be a whole lot better off if we started growing food in a way that supported human health, the environment and the human spirit? I think it would. In nature the soil is always covered unless there is some type of disturbance. This cover could be dead grass, leaves, conifer needles, fallen logs, etc. These materials act like the skin of the soil by protecting it from environmental extremes and allowing a whole host of organisms to call the soil home. Believe it or not there’s a lot more than worms in there. These organisms provide valuable services for your plants, like nutrient cycling. So, it’s in our best interest to keep the soil healthy and soil cover is an essential part of this. While there are many options for soil cover (straw, rocks, grass clippings, leaves, etc.), wood chips are a great option because they contain a good balance of carbon to nitrogen to feed soil organisms (depending on how fresh the wood is and how much green leaf material it contains), they stay in place, and they do a good job at suppressing weeds. Also, wood chips help with moisture retention (when dry) and displacement (when very wet). You can also walk on wood chips with less compaction occurring in your soil. And when it comes time for harvest you have clean veggies! Besides chipping your own branches, a good free source of wood chips is your local tree service. Wood chips are a waste product for them and if you’re located on their route you can probably get them to deliver.
It’s important to reiterate that wood chips are a soil cover, They should not be heavily mixed into your soil. Your plants’ roots need to grow in soil and will not thrive in wood chips. A layer of wood chips on top of the soil will slowly break down and enrich your soil. Over time you can add wood chips less frequently as you’ve increased the organic matter and improved the structure and biology in your soil. To plant into wood chips use a rake or other tool to expose the soil you want to plant into. Remember, plants grow in soil, not mulch. Wood chips along with compost easily supply all the nutrients your soil needs, so fertilizers are unnecessary. Wood chips also retain moisture in the soil helping your plants grow with even moisture and reducing/eliminating the need to water. Any weed seeds that land on top of the wood chips are less likely to germinate and survive because they are not in contact with the soil. In addition, because wood chips build porous soil it makes weeds easier to pull out. With all this said, any natural soil covering will be beneficial to your garden. So, if you don’t have easy access to wood chips, use what is available to you. Don’t leave your soil naked! - Rodale Institute Movie Review
Over the Garden Fence: 'Back to Eden' teaches to mimic nature in our gardens
It's all about the cover. In a nutshell — or more accurately, a woodchip — that's what Paul Gautschi says is the secret to gardening. Mimic nature by covering the soil with leaves, woodchips and similar organic materials, and gardens all but care for themselves, says this Washington state gardener who shows us how in a new gardening documentary with a central Pennsylvania connection. “Back to Eden” is the name of the 90-minute film that is directed and co-produced by Gettysburg native Sarah Zentz and Dana Richardson of California. Zentz graduated in 2008 from Millersville University with a fine arts degree in new media, and hooked up with Richardson — an Art Institute of Chicago grad — to found an independent, California-based film-production company called Dana & Sarah Films. The two have done several short films on environmental and sustainability topics. “Back to Eden” is their first feature-length film.
Internet film premieres today; documents abundance in Gardiner garden
In their documentary film “Back to Eden,” Sarah Zentz and Dana Richardson tell the story of one man, one acre — and abundance. For the past 32 years, Paul Gautschi has been growing a lush, prolific garden near Gardiner without artificial fertilizer and without irrigation, regardless of how dry a given summer was. “Eden” is the story of how he does it. The picture makes its world premiere today at www.BacktoEdenFilm.com and is available free in high definition to anyone with an Internet connection.Gautschi, who with his wife, Carol, has raised a family of seven on his five-acre property off Chicken Coop Road, regularly dazzles visitors with what’s called permaculture: the practice of growing food using all-natural materials and methods. Gautschi, an arborist, uses wood chips — broken branches and leaves but no bark — to cover his growing grounds. He seals in moisture and nutrients this way. He doesn’t water or use store-bought fertilizer. - Peninsula Daily News Film Review
I have watched a lot of documentaries on real food, but none of them has moved me the way that Back to Eden has moved me! Why? I think it’s because of the spiritual component that was woven throughout the entire documentary. All along I have know that there is a spiritual side to this real food thing. I have just not been able to articulate it very well. This film does that! For those of you who are not very spiritual or ‘religious’ (although I really hate using that term since I don’t feel religious in the traditional sense of the word), I don’t think you should shun this movie. Even though the theme is very heavy on sustainable farming relating to God’s creation and how that relates to scripture, it has extremely practical sustainable farming and gardening techniques. These techniques utilize composted wood chips as not only a mulch, but also:
This documentary is a MUST SEE! - Real Food Freaks Movie Review
- compost
- natural fertilizer
- pest deterrent
- weed prevention
- a means to balance ph levels, and a way to
- reduce water use by up to 90%!
This documentary is a MUST SEE! - Real Food Freaks Movie Review