Three Sisters

The three sisters are corn, beans, and squash.These have been cultivated together in this region by the Haudenosaunee for at least 700 years based on archaeological findings.

Planting these crops together has many benefits.

1. The cornstalks give the beans a trellis.The beans support the corn in high winds.
2. The beans fix nitrogen in the soil, feeding the corn and squash.
3. The squash leaves shade the soil and help with moisture retention and limit weeds.
4. The prickly hairs of the squash deter deer and racoons from the crops.

Eaten together these foods contain all nine essential amino acids forming a complete protein.This companion planting yielded highly efficient food production with the excess available for trade for Native Americans in North and Central America.Agricultural research has confirmed the wisdom of the Native Americans.

Ref: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_(agriculture)