The Three Sisters (Corn, Beans, Squash)

[Jerrell]

This is more for those of you that are stationary (or the innovative person with a mobile greenhouse I guess).

I was reading the thread about wild plants to eat/use and it reminded me of something I learned about in college. I learned it as the "CBS diet" in the anthropology course, but after googling it I see that calling it "The Three Sisters" is much more common.

It is basically three types of food that can be grown fairly easily that compliment each other both in the garden and nutritionally. Corn, beans, and squash.

I'm not a fan of plagiarizing, so I'll just suggest googling "three sisters corn beans squash" and checking it out for yourself if intrigued.

 

[deleted user]

gaggling rn

 

[MamaSow]

yes!

 

[MamaSow]

Hard to get good corn anymore. It's all GMO and over processed etc. I rarely eat corn now. I do love beans, squash, and rice though.

Beans and squash could be a hoot to grow on a traveling rig.

 

[paiche]

I had some heirloom Hidatsa beans I tried to grow them up a teepee shape made of saplings with corn planted around the perimeter of the teepee and the beans took extra trouble to grow away from the poles and found the corn and all the beans that found the corn grew beautifully. They have a relationship. If you try it I recommend seeking out heirloom seeds from your area if possible that have been grown in this way, and corn from a seed company that tests for transgenic gmo seed (like fedco)

 

[deleted user]

I have been thinking about using corn since it could technically be fuel.

I mean, what if I attempted to run a generator off of bio fuel? it's essentially diesel, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[paiche]

I have been thinking about using corn since it could technically be fuel.

I mean, what if I attempted to run a generator off of bio fuel? it's essentially diesel, if I'm not mistaken.

A friend of mine looked into purchasing a large press, he wasn't looking into corn but it could be worth a shot to try if you can get ahold press.

 

[Slingshot Collective]

We printed a three sisters companion planting tutorial: http://slingshot.tao.ca/?p=116195 though the online version doesn't include the art, which is sort of essential, and derived from this draft: https://web.archive.org/web/20101011200945/http://zinelibrary.info:80/files/tscpzine.pdf

 

[MamaSow]

I had some heirloom Hidatsa beans I tried to grow them up a teepee shape made of saplings with corn planted around the perimeter of the teepee and the beans took extra trouble to grow away from the poles and found the corn and all the beans that found the corn grew beautifully. They have a relationship. If you try it I recommend seeking out heirloom seeds from your area if possible that have been grown in this way, and corn from a seed company that tests for transgenic gmo seed (like fedco)

Heirloom seeds = heaven