When Callum Lawson first arrived at Allanvalle in 2021, the 1214 hectare Avenel property was operating much like many grazing cattle farms across the region.
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Pastures were conventionally managed, cattle grazed openly across multiple paddocks, stocking rates were high, and fertiliser programs followed standard formulas.
Five years on, the farm looks, and functions, very differently.
Under Callum’s management, Allanvalle has undergone a deliberate shift toward regenerative pasture cropping, driven by a focus on soil health, recovery time and biological function rather than short‑term production gains.
One of the most visible changes has been the move to tightly controlled rotational grazing.
Where cattle once roamed freely across multiple paddocks, they are now managed in one or two mobs at a time, allowing the majority of paddocks to rest and recover properly.
“The longer the rest period, the more recovery you get,” Callum said.
“Plants develop deeper root systems, you build more carbon, improve water infiltration and end up with a much more resilient pasture.”
That grazing discipline underpins Allanvalle’s pasture cropping system.
Rather than separating cropping and grazing enterprises, Callum integrates multi‑species forage crops into his pasture, using them as a tool to stimulate soil biology, improve groundcover and extend feed availability.
Paddocks are sown with diverse mixes, sometimes containing up to 18 species, including cereals, legumes, brassicas, sunflowers, radish and forage herbs.
Each species plays a role, whether it is nitrogen fixation, improving soil structure, increasing rooting depth or boosting livestock nutrition.
“It’s not just about growing feed,” Callum said.
“It’s about what those plants are doing underground.”
Callum’s approach to pasture cropping is highly scientific and well-researched.
His focus extends beyond plant growth to the biological processes occurring in the soil.
By stimulating microbial activity, he aims to unlock nutrients already present in the soil profile, reducing reliance on synthetic fertilisers.
Instead of blanket applications, Allanvalle now uses compost, compost extracts, liquid fertilisers, guano and trace minerals, applied only when and where they are needed.
“We’re not looking to put 10 tonnes of something out,” Callum said.
“We might put out half a kilo or a kilo as a liquid, but make sure the plant can actually access it.”
A core principle is pairing nutrients with carbon sources.
This makes nutrients more plant‑available and less likely to volatilise or leach, while also feeding soil biology and encouraging nutrient cycling.
Those decisions are guided by total soil testing, which provides a deeper picture of what nutrients exist in the soil, not just what is immediately available.
This allows Callum to identify elements that may be present, but biologically locked up.
Alongside purchased products, Callum brews many of his own biological inputs on‑farm using ingredients such as rice, milk and molasses.
Through fermentation, minerals become bound to carbon and biology, creating inputs that are readily absorbed by plants and supportive of soil health.
Beyond the farm gate, Callum is involved in the broader regenerative agriculture community.
He is a board member of VicNoTill, an organisation that supports farmers adopting no‑till, regenerative and biologically driven systems.
Originally established as a cropping group, VicNoTill has evolved into a diverse network of beef, sheep, dairy and mixed farmers.
The organisation now focuses on shared principles rather than enterprise type, building soil health, improving resilience and maintaining profitability.
“It’s farmers helping farmers,” Callum said.
“You learn from what’s worked, what hasn’t, and from mistakes others have already made.”
For Callum, Allanvalle is both a working farm and a demonstration site, proof that pasture cropping, when combined with disciplined grazing and biological management, can build productivity from the soil up.
“It’s not a silver bullet,” he said.
“It’s about stacking small gains year after year and letting the system work together.”