The American Three Sisters Diet

[Pakanohida]

Once upon a time in the Americas, long before colonization of Europeans the people of the land were creating "Sisters Gardens"

The Ingredients of a Sisters Garden" are:
NonGMO, NonF1 Hybrid, Maize aka Corn.
NonGMO, NonF1 Hybrid, Squash, this does include pumpkin.
NonGMO, NonF1 Hybrid, Beans

Long ago, they learned that the beans can grow up the maize and give the beans support. The beans fix nitrogen, but also more importantly, they learned that the corn & beans together when ate gave a more complete diet. Corn lacks the amino acid Lysine and tryptophan. , but beans have them thus making a complete diet.

Corn was also used in healing besides food. Corn silk especially known for this amongst many tribes.

Squashes were added as living mulch to deter weeds, and the prickly hairs are hated by a large amount of animals. However, in the American Southwest the Anazazi & Tewa tribes had a 4th, and important sister.

Cleome serrulata, aka Rocky Mountain Bee Plant is used as insect attracting, hummingbird attracting, but also it is a permaculture plant with multiple uses. It also has uses in medicine, dyes, and food. Rocky Mountain Bee plant, has 4x the RDA value of vitamin A in a mere 1/2 cup of greens.

There are no known other ingredients for Sisters Garden be they heard from elders talking story with me, or via research on the internet and books.

For many tribes, the creation of these gardens were done with ceremony, and are always regarded as something sacred. As sacred as all life is held, as sacred as a person in church, temple, or Mosque communing with their deity.

There are numerous planting instructions on the web for this style garden. However basically, they all start with the Corn being grown in center. Beans are planted around the corn, and a week after the corn starts growing is generally when the squash is added to the outer ring.

Happy Gardening.

[Try Reason]

Once upon a time in the Americas, long before colonization of Europeans the people of the land were creating "Sisters Gardens"

The Ingredients of a Sisters Garden" are:
NonGMO, NonF1 Hybrid, Maize aka Corn.
NonGMO, NonF1 Hybrid, Squash, this does include pumpkin.
NonGMO, NonF1 Hybrid, Beans

Long ago, they learned that the beans can grow up the maize and give the beans support. The beans fix nitrogen, but also more importantly, they learned that the corn & beans together when ate gave a more complete diet. Corn lacks the amino acid Lysine and tryptophan. , but beans have them thus making a complete diet.

Corn was also used in healing besides food. Corn silk especially known for this amongst many tribes.

Squashes were added as living mulch to deter weeds, and the prickly hairs are hated by a large amount of animals. However, in the American Southwest the Anazazi & Tewa tribes had a 4th, and important sister.

Cleome serrulata, aka Rocky Mountain Bee Plant is used as insect attracting, hummingbird attracting, but also it is a permaculture plant with multiple uses. It also has uses in medicine, dyes, and food. Rocky Mountain Bee plant, has 4x the RDA value of vitamin A in a mere 1/2 cup of greens.

There are no known other ingredients for Sisters Garden be they heard from elders talking story with me, or via research on the internet and books.

For many tribes, the creation of these gardens were done with ceremony, and are always regarded as something sacred. As sacred as all life is held, as sacred as a person in church, temple, or Mosque communing with their deity.

There are numerous planting instructions on the web for this style garden. However basically, they all start with the Corn being grown in center. Beans are planted around the corn, and a week after the corn starts growing is generally when the squash is added to the outer ring.

Happy Gardening.

The anthrpological side of this guild must be interesting. Looking a little into the milpa you start to see the regional influence on how this guild was used. The theme of the three central crops is always present though other plants are incorporated in some places seemingly depending on local plant sources. Given that it is used in varying forms over such a large part of the map you get the feeling it is a culture driver and survivor. Probably as significant as the often mentioned cropping of grains in the ancient middle east.

[matto]

Corn provides a natural pole for bean vines to climb.
Beans fix nitrogen on their roots, improving the overall fertility of the plot by providing nitrogen to the following years’ corn.
Bean vines also help stabilize the corn plants, making them less vulnerable to blowing over in the wind.
Shallow-rooted squash vines become a living mulch, shading emerging weeds and preventing soil moisture from evaporating, thereby improving the overall crops’ chances of survival in dry years.
Spiny squash plants also help discourage predators from approaching the corn and beans.

Dave Jacke, on a podcast reckons he can find 12 inter-relations in the simplified 3 sister's guild. He didn't go in to it but it would be curious to see what he is seeing. Maybe one is the relationship for completing the amino acids but i cant see more
any ideas?

I wonder if this guild started in Mexico and spread from there or from the American Indians, but as TryReason says it is definately a pioneer carried by the population. I just listened to a podcast on the agroinnovations site on Agriculture and Civilisation, no. 35 I think, and it goes into saying how grains and grasses are the most successful ecological group on the planet and how they inextricably tied to humans rise among the beasts.

[Pakanohida]

Dave Jacke, on a podcast reckons he can find 12 inter-relations in the simplified 3 sister's guild. He didn't go in to it but it would be curious to see what he is seeing. Maybe one is the relationship for completing the amino acids but i cant see more
any ideas?

I wonder if this guild started in Mexico and spread from there or from the American Indians, but as TryReason says it is definately a pioneer carried by the population. I just listened to a podcast on the agroinnovations site on Agriculture and Civilisation, no. 35 I think, and it goes into saying how grains and grasses are the most successful ecological group on the planet and how they inextricably tied to humans rise among the beasts.

It is my understanding that the Hopi literally walked the entire earth before settling where they did. It is possible they, and other tradespeople passed Maize from the Mexico region where it is currently thought to of originated, and then spread outwards towards the East coast Woodlands.

[Pakanohida]

The anthrpological side of this guild must be interesting. Looking a little into the milpa you start to see the regional influence on how this guild was used. The theme of the three central crops is always present though other plants are incorporated in some places seemingly depending on local plant sources. Given that it is used in varying forms over such a large part of the map you get the feeling it is a culture driver and survivor. Probably as significant as the often mentioned cropping of grains in the ancient middle east.

I came upon milpas from the point of view of geometry. It is my understanding each of those gardens were designed using the golden mean ratio in antiquity, and all were permaculture based systems.

[Try Reason]

It is my understanding that the Hopi literally walked the entire earth before settling where they did. It is possible they, and other tradespeople passed Maize from the Mexico region where it is currently thought to of originated, and then spread outwards towards the East coast Woodlands.

Thanks for the insight Pakanohida. Is it traditionally used in South America too?

[Pakanohida]

Yes, there is actual evidence amongst tribes that the mythical "Kokopelli" actually existed at one time and walked from the Anazazi lands all the way into South America trading with everyone in between.

[Shawburn]

I like to use additional "sisters"such as sweet potato especially the dark orange type like Beauregard.
How about using Buckwheat as a polinator attractor?

[sweetpea]

I thought the three sisters American diet was potato chips, hamburgers and beer!

[pippimac]

Or corn, corn and corn?