Exhibit: The Three Sisters

Ancient Native Americans planted 3 plants (Corn, Beans and Squash) that helped each other in an example of companion planting. It consisted of creating small mounds of soil and planting a corn seed in the middle. Then 4 beans seeds were planted around the corn seed. Finally squash seeds were planted at the base of the mound.

Squash develops large leaves that keeps humidity in the soil and prevents weeds from growing. It also has prickly stems that keep animals away from the other two plants. Corn stalks provide a structural support on which beans can grow to quickly gain height. And last but not least, beans’ roots house bacteria that can fix nitrogen from the air and transform it in nitrate natural fertilizer. Furthermore, a diet based on these 3 plants provides all nine essential amino acids that the body can’t synthetize.

More and more, farmers are getting back to this type of culture because of all the benefits and the reduction of use of pesticides and fertilizers.