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It starts with the seed. Many gardeners, planning to grow organically, never realize that the conventional seeds they purchase could already be tainted. Not only might they have been harvested from chemically grown plants but "many seeds are also then treated with insecticides or fungicides prior to sale," writes Kenny Ausubel in Seeds of Change: The Living Treasure (HarperSanFrancisco, 1994). Clearly, organic and heirloom seeds are the way to grow. To find them, contact:

Seeds of Change
www.seedsofchange.com;
888-762-7333.

Peaceful Valley Farm Supply
www.groworganic.com;
888-784-1722.

Seed Savers Exchange
www.seedsavers.org;
563-382-5990.

The Natural Gardening Company
www.naturalgardening.com;
707-766-9303.

Planet Natural
www.planetnatural.com;
800-289-6656 (for heirloom seeds, guaranteed unaltered).

The Cook's Garden
www.cooksgarden.com;
800-457-9703.