Indigenous Farming and the Three Sisters

Plants That Take Care of Each Other

Long before tractors, fertilizer, or garden centers, Indigenous farmers in North America discovered something powerful. Some plants don’t compete. They cooperate. Often referred to as companion planting. 

The Iroquois and many other Native tribes planted the Three Sisters: corn, beans, and squash. These crops weren’t planted randomly. They were planted with purpose. Each one helped the others survive and thrive.

This was smart farming. Science!

What Are the Three Sisters?

• Corn grows tall and becomes a climbing pole, a support

• Beans climb the corn and add nitrogen to the soil

• Squash spreads wide and shades the ground, keeping moisture in and weeds out

Each plant gives something. Each plant takes something. It’s a living system that works with nature, not against it.

Native farmers didn’t read this in a book. They learned it by watching, testing, and trusting the land over generations, and passing that knowledge down from generation to generation.

More Than a Method

The Three Sisters are not just food. They are family.

Corn is the oldest sister, strong and supportive. Beans are the middle sister, flexible and connected. Squash is the youngest, quiet, but protective.

This story was told to teach respect for the plants, for the land, and for each other. Farming wasn’t just about growing. It was about belonging.

Why This Still Matters

Today, many farms grow one crop across thousands of acres, known as monocropping. That weakens the soil and creates a cycle of chemicals and water waste. We learned this in the 1930s from the Dust Bowl

The Three Sisters model reminds us that diversity and cooperation matter. It builds soil, saves water, and protects pollinators. It works in large fields, backyards, and even containers.

We don’t need more chemicals. We need better systems, closer communities. 

How to Grow Your Own Three Sisters Garden

Start small. A raised bed or mound is enough.

1. Make a mound about 2 feet wide.

2. Plant corn seeds in the center. Wait until the plants are 6 inches tall.

3. Then plant pole beans around the corn. (not Bush Beans)

4. Finally, plant squash around the outside edge.

The corn becomes the trellis. The beans feed the soil. The squash protects the base.

Water deeply. Add mulch. Let nature lead.

Kid Activity: Design Your Garden + Write the Story

1. Draw a garden layout: where will each sister go?

2. Add arrows to show how they help each other.

3. Give each plant a personality. Write a story about their teamwork.

This connects kids to the science and the story behind it.

The Lesson

Plants grow better together. So do people.

The Three Sisters are a blueprint for how to farm, how to share, and how to live.

This knowledge was never lost. It lives on in the land, in the seeds, and in every child who learns how to grow with care.

Let’s grow a future together.

Adapt Your Table