The story of our Cattle!

Cattle play a crucial role in stimulating pasture growth through managed grazing practices. By confining them in small paddocks with portable electric fencing for brief periods, high-density grazing is achieved, which offers multiple benefits to the pasture.

Firstly, this method encourages competitive grazing, where all plants are evenly grazed. This creates a natural mowing effect, preventing certain plant species from becoming dominant and promoting a diverse, healthy pasture. The even grazing also ensures that all plants have an equal opportunity to regrow, which is vital for maintaining plant biodiversity and soil health.

Secondly, the concentration of manure and urine in a confined area acts as a powerful natural fertilizer. Manure is rich in essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are critical for plant growth. The uniform distribution of these nutrients across the pasture enhances soil fertility, promoting vigorous plant regrowth. Additionally, the organic matter in manure helps improve soil structure, increasing its ability to retain water and support microbial activity, which is essential for nutrient cycling.

Finally, the heavy foot traffic of cattle in a small area has a mulching effect, where some of the pasture is flattened and laid down as a natural insulation layer on the soil’s surface. This layer of organic material, often referred to as “litter,” acts as a protective cover for the soil. It reduces moisture evaporation, keeping the soil cooler and more hydrated, which is crucial for root development and overall plant health. This litter also provides a habitat for a variety of soil organisms, including earthworms and fungi, which play a key role in breaking down organic matter and recycling nutrients back into the soil.

This combination of competitive grazing, nutrient-rich manure, and natural mulching creates a dynamic, self-sustaining system that not only boosts pasture growth but also enhances soil health. By mimicking natural grazing patterns, this method helps to regenerate the land, making it more resilient to environmental stresses like drought and soil erosion.!

Our chickens live a wonderful life!

Moved Regularly:
Every 3-4 days, our chickens are moved to fresh grass, ensuring they always have clean, pathogen-free environments. This frequent relocation is key to preventing the buildup of harmful bacteria and parasites that could otherwise thrive in a stationary environment. By moving the chickens regularly, their manure is evenly spread across the pasture. This manure acts as a natural fertilizer, rich in nitrogen, which is essential for plant growth. The decomposition of this organic matter also improves soil structure, enhancing its ability to retain moisture and support microbial life.

Chemical-Free Food:
Our chickens are fed chemical-free food produced by Regenerative Grain Growers. These pellets are high in protein, which is crucial for the chickens' overall health, including muscle development and egg production. Protein is also essential for the formation of strong eggshells, as it helps in the absorption of calcium. The rich yolks and firm whites of our eggs are a direct result of the balanced nutrition provided by these pellets, which contribute to the overall quality of the eggs.

Pastured Eggs:
Pastured eggs mean our chickens live among grass and pasture, where they can engage in natural behaviors like foraging. Chickens are omnivores, and while they eat grass, they also consume bugs, worms, and insects, which provide essential proteins and fats that enhance their health and egg quality. This natural diet helps to produce eggs with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins like A and E. Additionally, the chickens' access to fresh air and sunlight boosts their vitamin D levels, which is important for their bone health and the quality of their eggs. Combined with fresh water, chemical-free pellets, and the watchful care of our Guard Dog Billie, this ensures that our chickens live stress-free lives, resulting in the highest quality eggs.

Compost is magical!

Compost is a powerful source of microbiology, organic matter, and carbon—key components that fuel soil health and plant growth. It comes in two forms: aerobic, which requires oxygen, and anaerobic, which does not. At Templeton Lane, we focus on aerobic composting because it promotes beneficial microbial activity without the need for turning or disturbance. This method produces a fungal-dominant compost, which is especially rich in microorganisms that help break down organic matter into nutrients plants can easily absorb.

A vital component of our compost is supermarket green waste, such as fruits and vegetables, which are diverted from landfills and reintroduced into the soil. By doing so, we recycle valuable nutrients that would otherwise be lost.

We apply our compost across the farm in liquid form, a process known as compost tea, which inoculates the pastures with living biology. These microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, stimulate activity in the soil’s ecosystem. They break down organic matter, releasing essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and enhancing the soil’s ability to store carbon. This process boosts the soil's fertility and its capacity to retain water, promoting healthier, more resilient plants.

Great compost is a combination of living biology, recycled nutrients, and organic matter, making it essential for regenerating soils that have lost their carbon, nutrients, and beneficial microorganisms due to overuse or poor management. By restoring these elements, compost helps to create a sustainable cycle of growth and renewal in the soil.

Regenerative Agriculture is an exciting, alternative form of food production, that is healthy for us, healthy for the planet and embraces mother nature. We have undertaken a farm project on the edge of Melbourne and have focused on bringing the soil biology back to life, utilising the principles of Regenerative Agriculture.

We are using cattle, chickens and adaptive multi paddock grazing to stimulate the biology within the soil profile and encourage the diversity in the pasture mix. We use the cattle to  mow the grass naturally and the chickens to fertilize the soil naturally, stimulating the natural nutrient cycle as they move across  the paddocks. We embrace and support mother nature and she returns with increased pasture growth, increased biology within the soil and increased water holding capacity, insuring against the inevitable dry times.