Published May 2026 | C-Wise News
When Ash Wiese first agreed to trial C-Wise compost on his farm south of Narrogin, he was upfront about his scepticism. A self-described “spreadsheet guy” and former accountant, Ash wasn’t interested in the theory of soil biology — he wanted to know if the numbers stacked up against synthetic fertiliser.
Five years and up to 11,000 tonnes of compost per season later, the numbers do stack up. And the soil biology turned out to be a bonus he’s still quantifying.
Ash recently joined Holly on Triple M’s Rural Focus programme to share what he’s observed firsthand — and the conversation is well worth a listen.
🎧 Watch the full interview on YouTube →https://youtu.be/glTaHATZClM
What Ash Found in the Paddock
Ash farms broadacre cropping country in the Narrogin district and serves as Chair of the Grains Australia Oat Council. He was first approached by C-Wise because the base of our composting product — oat husks — is a by-product of the oat processing industry he knows well. The circular economy story resonated immediately.
“For all the oats that goes off our farm, we’re bringing that amount of compost back onto the farm — and it’s made from the waste from oats. I kind of like that story.”
What began as a nutrition-focused trial has evolved into something more comprehensive. Over the past four years, Ash has run replicated 100-hectare paddock trials comparing compost-treated areas against standard farmer practice. The results have been, in his words, “astounding.”
Observations from the trials include:
- Less disease across cereal and canola crops
- More biomass and bigger flag leaf — visible both on the ground and via satellite imagery
- Healthier, more developed root systems — including the characteristic “dreadlock” root growth associated with strong microbial activity
- Confirmed organic carbon uplift, verified by independent agronomists conducting on-farm trials
- Sustained microbial biology through WA’s hot, dry summers — confirmed by microbial DNA testing conducted by the University of Western Australia
The Numbers Still Matter
Ash has always evaluated compost primarily on its nutritional value relative to synthetic fertiliser cost. His conclusion after five years: the cost comparison is favourable — and everything else that comes with compost is essentially a bonus.
“It’s always been very close to the fertiliser cost — without having to pay for the other things that come with it, like the carbon and the microbial activity and all that.”
With global fertiliser prices having risen sharply in recent years, that comparison has only improved. Ash notes that several new growers in his district have started trialling compost this season, drawn in part by supply security concerns.
A Consistent Product, Well Supported
Ash was equally positive about the practical experience of working with C-Wise — noting that product consistency is a key differentiator.
“One thing that’s made it easy is their product is very consistent — which is probably different to a lot of other compost products. They add the nutrition to make sure it gets to those levels they’re selling it at. It comes very enriched with phosphorus, potash, nitrogen, and a lot of trace elements.”
Logistics have also been seamless. Over the past few months, more than 100 truckloads were delivered to Ash’s property in a coordinated programme that he described as “amazingly well done.”
For growers wanting to start small, C-Wise also offers muck spreaders for hire — removing the need for upfront equipment investment.
Committed for the Long Term
After five years of trialling, Ash is no longer hedging. He’s committed to compost as a core part of his nutrition programme — and he’s excited about what continued application will mean for his soils over the next decade.
“We’re definitely growing healthier crops — less disease, bulkier crops. There’s something special happening. We’ve been doing it long enough now to be pretty convinced it’s doing some pretty special stuff to our soils.”
Hear It Directly from Ash
The full Triple M Rural Focus interview runs just over ten minutes and covers everything from how Ash first got involved with C-Wise, to the practical realities of running large-scale compost trials in broadacre WA.
🎧 Watch the full interview on YouTube →
If you’re curious about whether compost could work in your operation, we’d love to have a conversation.
📞 (08) 9581 9582 ✉️ [email protected] 🌐 www.cwise.com.au
C-Wise is Western Australia’s leading organic carbon recycler, manufacturing Climate Active certified Carbon Neutral compost at our Nambeelup facility. Our products are used across broadacre agriculture, horticulture, viticulture, turf, and landscaping throughout WA.
