28 February 2025
It’s not every day one is compared to Santa Claus. Loved the world over for bringing gifts and spreading joy – Saint Nick is quite a hard act to follow.
But Chloe Wilson – the Knowledge Broker based with the Regional Circularity Cooperative on the NSW Southern Coast – recently received such praise. And fair enough.
Chloe is known in the Bega Valley as the ultimate gift giver to local farmers, landholders and communities.
“I knew a local producer was keen for access to soil testing. I called him with the good news that off the back of a program I had facilitated, I could offer just that. Even better, it was subsided,” she said.
“I asked whether he wanted to be registered, and he said I was just like Santa! It was really funny. It was one of the best compliments I’ve had!”
As a Southern NSW Innovation Hub Knowledge Broker, Chloe provides advice, resources and facilitates valuable connections to many located across the South Coast of NSW from Wollongong down the coast to the Victorian border.
At the heart of her role is co-design, collaboration and interaction and according to Chloe, that’s the best part of her job.
“I am responsible for bringing stakeholders together to identify priorities they have related to their businesses and livelihoods. I coordinate the workshopping of those issues for the group and then facilitate the development of potential actions, Chloe said.
“I work with producers in the dairy, beef, horticulture, aquaculture industries, with representatives in all levels of government, private consultants and local farm supply stores.”
The 26-year-old – who’s background is in livestock production - is making a big difference to her local, very diverse agriculture sector.
In 2024 she facilitated a series of workshops with local dairy and beef producers from the Bega Valley who decided that building soil fertility, organic matter and soil carbon was on the top of their list. Out of this, the Subsidised Soil Testing initiative was born.
“We’ve had an overwhelming response - 57 farmers recently registered to take part in the program and there’s a significant waiting list,” Chloe said.
“As part of the program. Soil tests will be conducted through a local farm supply store or agronomist and then an accredited laboratory with review them.”
The program is delivered by Bega Circular Valley through the Knowledge Broker project in partnership with the SNSW Hub. Funding is provided by the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund (FDF).
In the approaching Autumn months, Chloe will has planned two other events to help locals who are very interested in the issue of soil health.
“A seminar will be held in the Bega Valley where local agronomists will discuss precision fertiliser application and practices to build fertility, organic matter, carbon and fungi,” she said.
“Then a field day will be held to demonstrate a low-cost soil health indicator as part of the third and final phase of the initiative.”
A big highlight for 2024 was a joint regional youth in horticulture project called South Coast Regional Youth Food Futures.
Identifying three horticulture providers from across the South Coast with the same focus, Chloe brought them together for the joint initiative which aims to retain the knowledge and skills of regional food production and land management for the next generation.
“We involved community youth coordinators from Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, held a session with stakeholders, identified the priorities and brainstormed how to address them,” she said.
“Importantly we were able to secure State Government funding for the program just before Christmas which was fantastic. The activities as part of the South Coast Regional Youth Food Future are now being rolled out”.
One day is never the same for a Knowledge Broker. And that’s just the way Chloe likes it.
“I can be working in a different industry every day. Different topics too which makes it interesting – I can go from water to soils, to long term feed storage, to general farming issues, it’s very broad and satisfying.”
And being compared to Santa is the cherry on top.
