At MSU Extension, we recognize that people use many different approaches to manage their garden soils. No-till is an excellent option that protects the soil structure and keeps the weed bank undisturbed so weed seeds remain underground. We promote the application of organic matter to build the soil, including wood chip mulches which also serve to regulate soil moisture and temperature, reducing the need for supplemental irrigation. Unfortunately, a heavy layer of wood chips will create an ideal environment for jumping worms. They will thrive under the mulch, using it for cover and as a food source. With food and moisture plentiful, they will proliferate rapidly.

Now it may be that the article you referenced can be tweaked a bit, if you feel it discourages no-till. If you have any specific suggestions on wording that would improve the article, I would be happy to consider those changes. Sometimes just adding a sentence or two can make a big difference.

We routinely recommend the use of organic mulches in vegetable gardens, not just in paths. This is certainly the case in our presentations and programs, including our flagship Foundations of Gardening course. We don't have a lot of publications on mulch specifically, but here is one where wood chip mulch is specifically recommended, including photos showing a mulched vegetable bed: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/smart_gardeners_improve_their_soil_and_weed_control_with_organic_mulch

Wood chips are not a cure-all, but they certainly have their place in conserving moisture, regulating temperature, and providing a nutrient source. As for the jumping worm article, I don't recall putting anything in there to discourage the use of mulch. We mention that mulch unfortunately creates an ideal environment for them, but the point is to make people aware that the worms thrive in the same environments that are good for plants and soil health. The only comment we made about restricting the use of mulch is related to using mulch from areas infected by the worms. If you can think of a better way of phrasing things to clarify those points, I'd be happy to incorporate new wording.

Not to beat these topics to death, but I just wanted to give more perspective as to why I'm so passionate about them.

Yours is an interesting approach. It sounds like you are essentially creating a soilless mix raised bed above the native mineral soil. Back when I was directly involved in tree research, we used an 80:20 mix of shredded pine bark to sphagnum moss (now we would use something renewable) as a container mix. I suspect that jumping worms would not be an issue in terms of plant health using your approach, perhaps because of the centipedes, but perhaps because of the endless food supply. You may have heard the counterintuitive news about whitefish flourishing in Green Bay, apparently because the overabundant nutrients cannot be fully cleared by the invasive muscles, allowing for persistence of the food chain that would otherwise collapse. It is unlikely that jumping worms could break down all of the organic matter you are supplying, though they are likely to rapidly reproduce.

I would be very interested in seeing your operating in action. I appreciate the invitation and I'll make a note to touch base next spring to set something up. I will also see about adding a line to our jumping worm article to clarify that organic practices like mulching are recommended practices even if they create habitats conducive to jumping worms.

Just watched your video, looks like great growing conditions... and love the chickens! We may just be using language differently. Technically, topsoil includes mineral soil, being primarily made up of sand, silt and clay, with a much smaller component of organic matter. The "topsoil" you created through layering of wood chips is largely humus, which is the stable form of organic matter after it has been decomposed. That is indeed a soilless mix, but which I mean it is fully made up of organic matter without any mineral soil (sand, silt, clay from rock weathering). Do you use anything for fertilizer, or has everything grown fine? You did mention compost, but it seems that is only for the first couple of years. I would imagine this system would supply nutrients for a good while, although I could see heavy feeders like tomatoes or cucumbers eventually struggling without supplemental nutrients.

Just watched the video. That is quite the operation! Looks like a nice mix.