To be fair, Coots actually refutes the notion of calling it "Coot's Mix" and he gives credit where credit is due.
"Coot's Mix" is actually Cornell University's soil mix, if you do a google search for "Cornell University soil mix" you'll find articles that are decades old about the mix in question.
The bulk of the soil mix/research in question was in fact done by Cornell U (CU from hereon out), but Coot's goes crazy with his EWC and this is something that even CU did not do.
Coots definitely gets frustrated with broscience and people asking the same questions without doing their own due diligence, but he also doesn't have the attitude "The Rev" does. Coots is a pretty humble guy overall, and pretty patient considering how many times he answers basic questions over and over again.
While his mix is in fact someone else's recipe, his compost (EWC more specifically) is on another level and is the sole reason for his results.
Soil is definitely a science, and it's no joke. One can take years worth of classes just on soil compaction alone. And the microbiology within a soil is akin to that of the ocean, in the sense that we've only just barely scratched the surface.
While there's been a lot of advancements made in the field, to say that we even know 5% of everything concerning soil structure, compaction, microbiology, reactions, etc. is a huge stretch.
This is why one must always be learning.
One doesn't become a failure when they get subpar results.
One becomes a failure when they think they know everything. When you think you know everything, you don't think you have to learn anymore. And if you're not learning anymore.. what are you doing?
I'm a butcher by trade, the guy that taught me was a very ornery 82 year old man that didn't take shit from anybody. In fact, he was pissed off about the fact that he had to teach me in the first place. I actually got the guy to crack a smile when I expressed how excited I was to learn, and how grateful I was for the opportunity.
This guy (nearly 85 years old now and still breaking down wild game to this day) told me something that I will never forget.
"You never know what other people can teach you, and you should always keep an open mind. Who knows, you very well could end up teaching me something."
How could a guy in his 30s possibly teach someone in their 80s something? Especially since this guy has been a professional for over 50 years, longer than my own father has been alive in fact.
Finally it hit me, that's why this guy is as amazing as he is. Even at 82 years old, dude was working harder than anyone I've seen work even to this day. Carrying around weight like a beast, making me look like a bitch. I suddenly had ZERO excuses when working alongside someone like that.
It was one of the most eye opening experiences of my life, and still is.
This guy managed to condense 50+ years worth of experience into a single year when he trained me.. but the fact that he was still learning from others at his age is what I will never forget. The humility and skill this man had is unlike anything I've ever seen in my life.
When you think you are the best is when you become the worst. What's the expression? Pride commeth before the fall?
Why I love forums like this. I've been growing for over 12 years now, and I make every effort that I can to condense that 12 years of knowledge when I teach others.
The sooner I teach someone everything I know, the sooner that same person can then teach me.
I believe he said he got the mix from Cornell maybe? I think he tweeked it a little, but haven't really done more than a quick Google search on the subject.
