Topsoil Organics will be able to put their compost into 20kg bags for the retail market with $500,000 in funding from the Coles Nurture Fund.
The central west nutrient return centre has shared in $3.5 million in grants supporting Australian producers across a wide range of industries.
Topsoil Organics takes food and garden waste and turns it into compost, but at present it's only sold in bulk for the agricultural market.
Owners Dan and Lana Nicholson said this funding would enable them to bring forward plans to build a compost bagging facility that will get the nutrient rich compost back into the retail market.
“The Coles Nurture Fund grant means we can start bagging our compost and make it available not just to broadacre farms, but also to horticultural growers and eventually retail customers,” Mr Nicholson said.
Latest Stories
Non-edible food waste from more than 100 Coles stores across NSW does come to the central west nutrient return centre to be blended with organics to make compost.
“It’s a full-circle process - the same materials can be returned to the land to help grow the next crop," Mr Nicholson said
"As a family-owned business, it’s an honour to create this kind of impact with the support of the Coles Nurture Fund.
"It’s not just about compost it’s about closing the loop, supporting farmers, and giving back to the environment in a meaningful way.”
The funding will have a massive impact on the Nicholsons' business, which just won Western NSW’s 2025 Business of the Year.
"Where we thought we could probably get to in the next five or six years is now going to become reality in the next year, opening up a market that we didn't think we could have got to so quickly," Mr Nicholson said.
Coles announced the grants on World Environment Day, Topsoil Organics one of 11 small and medium sized businesses to receive up to $500,000.
Now in its eleventh year, the Coles Nurture Fund has awarded more than $40 million in financial support to 119
Australian producers across a wide range of industries.
Coles Group Chief Commercial and Sustainability Officer Anna Croft said this year’s recipients stood out for their forward-thinking projects that drive innovation across the industry.
“We’re proud to support these businesses that are pioneering smart and practical solutions that will help to create a more sustainable future,” she said.
"It’s exciting to see such a strong pipeline of ideas with the potential to make a real impact, not just on production methods here in Australia, but on the communities and environments they are part of.”
