Speaking of native Americans and agricultural practices, this brings to mind the Three Sisters: maize, beans, and squash.
When the three are planted together, intermixed, they support each other and maintain the fertility of the soil. Maize provides upright support for the beans to climb. Squash provides ground cover against weeds. They all use different ratios of key soil nutrients. What’s more, when consumed together, these plants provide all the amino acids needed for high-quality, low-cost vegetarian protein!
I understand that this makes it challenging to harvest large fields and sell each crop individually. And it does nothing for those who produce cotton and tobacco as cash crops. It is a very sustainable way to manage a garden, though!
Speaking of native Americans and agricultural practices, this brings to mind the Three Sisters: maize, beans, and squash.
When the three are planted together, intermixed, they support each other and maintain the fertility of the soil. Maize provides upright support for the beans to climb. Squash provides ground cover against weeds. They all use different ratios of key soil nutrients. What’s more, when consumed together, these plants provide all the amino acids needed for high-quality, low-cost vegetarian protein!
I understand that this makes it challenging to harvest large fields and sell each crop individually. And it does nothing for those who produce cotton and tobacco as cash crops. It is a very sustainable way to manage a garden, though!