The Three Sisters is a method of planting corn, beans, and squash in close proximity. The method was developed by Indigenous peoples in North America. Generally known as companion planting or intercropping, these practices provide benefits for both crops and the land. The Indigenous ways of knowing that were used to develop and maintain these complex cropping systems can also guide modern farming practices as we try to steer agriculture toward more sustainable outcomes.

1. The Three Sisters has been practiced for time immemorial. Growing crops is culturally significant for Indigenous peoples in North America because it’s also a way to pass down cultural and ecological knowledge. Corn, beans, and squash appear in many aspects of Indigenous cultures, such as language, stories, and songs. Even the name “Three Sisters” comes from stories that describe the deep connection between these crops. This cultural context represents the fundamental and long-standing relationship Indigenous cultures have with these three crops.

2. The Three Sisters works in a broad range of environments across North America. This helps explain why many Indigenous peoples hold all three crops as culturally significant. Wisconsin falls within one of the geographic regions where the Three Sisters can be grown, as practiced by the Ho-Chunk, Menominee, and Ojibwe peoples. Further examples include the Pueblo in the Southwest and Haudenosaunee in the Northeast. These cultures also domesticated specific varieties of each crop suited to their unique environments. Many of these varieties have been passed down for generations and are still grown today.

3. Each crop within the Three Sisters has a specific role that complements that of the others. Corn grows as a tall and sturdy trellis for the bean stems as they climb up the corn to reach sunlight. The bean roots house bacteria that convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form  usable by plants and add it to the soil over time. Squash is grown at the base of the mounds or in the surrounding area, which allows the large squash leaves to shade out weeds and cool the soil.

4. Each of the Three Sisters has its own job, but together these crops synergize to support life. These crops contribute to a healthy diet: Corn supplies carbohydrates, beans provide protein, and squash offers additional vitamins and nutrients. All three crops add organic matter to the soil that stimulates the cycling of nutrients from microbes; and, aboveground, these crops provide homes and food for important pollinators. These beneficial microbes and insects compete with pathogens and pests, which further protects the crops.

5. The yields of each crop grown using the Three Sisters method can be higher than when they are grown individually. The mutual benefits of this practice work to ensure all three crops grow healthy and yield abundantly. Oral traditions and historical accounts attest to the productivity of the Three Sisters. Modern research studies also demonstrate that each crop in the Three Sisters produces higher collective yields.

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Daniel Hayden, a citizen of the Comanche Nation, is a doctoral student in plant pathology. He is working in collaboration with the Oneida agricultural co-op, Ohe·láku, to understand the relationship between soil microbial communities and diverse crop production approaches for their sacred white corn.

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This article was posted in Fall 2024, Food Systems, Front List and tagged beans, companion planting, Corn, Daniel Hayden, Indigenous foodways, plant pathology, squash, The Three Sisters.