Hawaii, Iceland and the Lockyer Valley's Mt Sylvia...what do they have in common?

You're probably thinking "not much!" These three areas are places that palagonite, a rare rock dust formed through the interaction of water and volcanic glass, is found. Normally it occurs where there is recent volcanic activity, but in the past 11 years has been found at Mt Sylvia! Interested in how it happens? www.mtsylviasoilconditioners.com.au/products/understanding-palagonite-video

I'm mentioning this because I know a lot of you are into gardening to some extent...and most of us have soil that needs help. It's either too sandy, too clay ridden or too depleted of organic matter.

And that's where palagonite can help. Palagonite has the natural ability to hold and retain water, which is great news for a lot of gardeners, but when mixed with manure and microbes it becomes a powerful growth agent for gardens. The mine at mt Sylvia has already exported their blend to Dubai, where it was able to support the growth of healthy grass in a polo center! This was desert...and then they added the palagonite/manure blend and grass grew!

In a more local example, Bauers organic farm used palagonite in addition to some other natural goodies for the soil and gained a 50% increase in their ginger crop.

Of interest to my husband and I with our organic market garden, is the paramagnetism of palagonite. We already use blue metal in our compost brew to increase the soil paramagnetism and recently found out  palagonite has triple the paramagnetism of crusher dust/blue metal. It also improves the soil pH, microbial activity and adds many trace elements to the soil.

If you live in the Toowoomba area and want to try palagonite out, check out www.birdsongmarketgarden.com.au where we will soon be offering this supplement for sale to home gardeners.

The link below gives you some more info about this mineral:

www.mtsylviasoilconditioners.com.au/

Permaculture! Michael Wardle from Savour Soil Permaculture is coming this month to give us a run down on this environmentally friendly way of gardening and living.

Remember that the location has changed! We'll be meeting at Range Christian Fellowship (13-15 Blake St, Wilsonton, 4350)

This will be on Saturday 17th June from 9am-midday. Cost is $5, payable on the day.

Book in to Margy via the contact form on the website.

Also in June we'll be looking at winter skin fixes with natural products like therapeutic grade essential oils, salt, coconut oil etc.
This will be a make and take class...all the materials and instructions are provided and you get to make some custom products to help naturally protect and moisturise your skin this winter.

This class will be on Wednesday June 14th, 1pm at Birdsong Market Garden in Cranley.
Cost will be $15 and you'll go home with a couple of handmade skin products.
More more info, or to RSVP, contact Racheal at racheal@birdsongmarketgarden.com.au