Greetings fellow gardeners! This Summer’s garden was extraordinarily bountiful. Trees that had not set fruit since they were planted suddenly yielded a plentiful harvest. Flowers bloomed on plants that we had long given up on. I felt that nature knew that a new millennium was being ushered in and she was making sure that she went out of the 20th century in a flourish. As I gathered up the seeds for next years crop, I couldn’t help but reflect on what will be in store for the next millennium. These thoughts led me to the subject of seeds and how plants are being genetically altered for profit.

Many of the latest developments regarding plant DNA manipulation deal with a biological control known as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Bt works by killing the larval stage of both butterflies and moths (Lepidopterans). We’ve used it to control various worms on our plants for years, and find it an effective treatment. Enter Monsanto, large supplier of agro-chemicals. I’m sure many of you have heard or seen articles on Monsanto’s latest genetically altered plants containing Bacillus thuringiensis. A first look makes it appear that this approach is a step forward by reducing the need for pesticides, but don’t be fooled.

It is difficult, if not almost impossible, to truly gauge how genetic manipulation will affect a local or even global environment. It is imperative that if genetic alteration is going to be the wave of the future, more stringent guidelines and tests must be brought about. In the case of Monsanto’s Bt crops, only honey bees and other pollinators not of the Lepidopteran Order were tested for survival efficacy. As a result, it was recently discovered that Monarch butterfly caterpillars were effectively killed while feeding on milkweed plants that had become dusted with pollen from nearby Bt altered plants. It is unconscionable that EPA and the Food and Drug Administration allow these plants on the market until there are safeguards to protect non-target species.

The Monarch butterflies are only the tip of the iceberg. We must consider wider implications such as eventual Bt resistance from pest species, something that Monsanto figures will take 30 years (as if they had some sort of magic crystal ball!). And what of consumption of these Bt altered food crops? There currently aren’t any guidelines being followed because it is assumed that Bt crops are safe to eat. Are we so sure that it in no way affects us, or the animals that may consume it?

Then there is the issue of power, control, and the making of a monopoly. To use Monsanto’s Bt seed, farmers must sign a contract that stipulates Monsanto has proprietary control over the seed. Under this agreement, the farmer is not allowed to save or use any seeds harvested from their crops. If they want to use Bt seed, they must purchase it from Monsanto’s seed companies every year. To make sure that farmers, mills and seed processors are complying, Monsanto agents will go to various sites and test the seeds (the genetically altered seeds have a marker gene that allows them to be detected with special equipment).

Current research in the agro-industry is being done on something called the "Terminator Seed." Terminator seeds are genetically designed to kill their own seeds in the second population. The seeds will be aborted with external applications of a registered triggering Ag chemical. This seems highly risky given the potential number of things that could go wrong. What happens if the toxin gene is not activated properly and the defective genetic plants survive and multiply? What about the effects of cross pollination? Cross pollination can occur from plants miles from each other given factors of wind, birds and bees. Can anyone say that these "Terminator" seeds will be 100 percent controllable? It is very disconcerting to people like us who want to save heirloom seeds from destruction.

By MYRTLE OSNER

It's sad to lose our recipe contributor, Nancy Dimond, who is moving to Maryland with her husband, Tom Anovick, and new daughter, Claire. Nancy is a dietitian and worked with women and children in need, of whom there are, alas, many in our county. She worked for WIC.

Do you have too many veggies this month and are tired of all your regular recipes? Why not try what the French do, and make a recipe that comes from Provence? Here's

Ratatouille

Use a large, heavy deep skillet or kettle. Drip in enough olive oil to cover the bottom. You need not make as much as is indicated here; this will give you an idea of the proportions needed.

Sauté till limp:

3/4 cup thinly sliced onions

2 cloves (or more) sliced garlic

Move the onions and garlic to one side before adding the following ingredients Add each kind separately, and sprinkle some olive oil , salt and pepper on each successive layer. Sauté each layer.

4 green peppers, sliced

2 1/2 cups peeled, sliced eggplant

3 cups zucchini, sliced

2 cups peeled tomatoes

When you have finished adding all layers, you can stir the whole thing, cover it and simmer it half an hour. If it seems too juicy, take off the cover and simmer some more till it thickens. Watch you don't burn it!