Earth Saver wattles were invented by farmer Rudy Dyck of Winters, California, who spent 60 years in the farming industry developing innovative, value-added products from agricultural waste. The concept of the straw wattle began as an air pollution solution to the problem of how to dispose of rice straw after the rice crop was harvested. The traditional method used by farmers — burning the stubble — contributed to major air pollution in the Central Valley. This practice is being phased out by the Rice Straw Burning Reduction Act of 1991 and eventually will be banned.
Back in the 1960s, Rudy had already found an ingenious use for wheat straw, which he baled and sold to mushroom growers as compost. Caltrans was also purchasing Rudy's wheat straw bales and blowing the straw along roadsides to help control erosion. In 1990, when the California Air Resources Board contacted Rudy to help them figure out what to do with all the rice straw that could no longer be burned, he created the first rice straw wattle — a hand-stitched nylon mesh tube into which he stuffed the rice straw. Rudy then contacted the Caltrans Landscape and Erosion Control Department, which was especially interested in the new prototype, since Caltrans had been using expensive bundles of willow to control landslide problems, and the new rice straw wattles offered a more cost-effective alternative.
Encouraged by the potential market for his wattles, Rudy invented and patented a machine to build and stuff the straw tubes, much like a giant sausage maker. Earth Saver Rice Straw Wattles turned an unwanted agricultural byproduct into an erosion control device that proved beneficial in a wide variety of applications, from protecting storm drain inlets to controlling stormwater runoff and preserving hillsides and vineyard slopes.
During the first five years of production, Rudy's wattles utilized more than 40,000 tons of rice straw, saving 20,000 acres from being burned. The wattles were later rigorously tested by the San Diego State University Soil Erosion Research Laboratory and found to reduce off-site sediment delivery by 58 percent. Because of their superior performance, Earth Saver wattles were recognized as a best management practice (BMP) when installed properly on slopes. Rudy passed away in 1998, but the inventive spirit that characterized his company is still apparent today. Earth Saver remains a family-owned business, now managed by three generations of women. Rudy's daughter, Cathy McPhillips, who took over as president upon her father's death, directs the company with the same creativity and drive as her father, assisted by her mother, Joan Dyck, and her daughter, Allison. Together, they have broadened the scope of the business by promoting development of additional uses for rice straw wattles and focusing increasingly on better erosion control products and expanded customer services. In 2000, Cathy's husband, Kevin, joined the Earth Saver team, bringing his expertise as a manufacturing engineer to the enterprise.
Earth Saver continues to be an innovator in the field and remains sensitive to environmental needs. The company is constantly expanding its product line with additional wattle size options and new materials, including biodegradable netting.
Rice straw wattles are palletized for easier handling, and this new Web site connects potential customers to information on local distributors with the click of a button. Earth Saver also makes several education videos available to customers and sponsors a number of workshops on wattle applications and installation, reflecting the organization's strong customer service orientation.
Earth Saver has moved proudly into the new century, preserving the visionary thinking of its founder, Rudy Dyck. As the leader in the wattle industry, Earth Saver remains committed to developing products that will help rice farmers, enhance and protect the environment, and provide those who work in erosion control with best management practice solutions that really work.