Returning the ‘Three Sisters’ – Corn, Beans and Squash

[grulla]

Christina Gish Hill
Nov. 26, 2020

Historians know that turkey and corn were part of the first Thanksgiving, when Wampanoag peoples shared a harvest meal with the pilgrims of Plymouth plantation in Massachusetts. And traditional Native American farming practices tell us that squash and beans likely were part of that 1621 dinner too.
For centuries before Europeans reached North America, many Native Americans grew these foods together in one plot, along with the less familiar sunflower. They called the plants sisters to reflect how they thrived when they were cultivated together.

Continue reading at:https://theconversation.com/returnin...ltures-149230/

[Islander]

Indigenous peoples have much to teach us, including forest control to prevent wildfires which we are just now beginning to respect. However, planting the three sisters takes a bit of planning. The corn must be started well ahead of the squash and especially the beans, otherwise there won't be a structure in place for them to climb on as they mature. I've been growing my pole beans on chain-link fence because I happen to have it on my property, but in the past I have done those three sisters successfully.