How Corn, Beans, and Squash Worked Together to Feed a Nation
In today’s American Agriculture History Minute, Mark Oppold highlights one of the most enduring and ingenious agricultural systems brought to the New World—the Three Sisters.
Early settlers adopted this ancient Native American farming method, where corn, beans, and squash were grown together in harmony. Each crop played a vital role in the health and productivity of the garden.
- Corn, the “oldest sister,” stood tall, offering structure and shade.
- Squash spread low across the ground, suppressing weeds and conserving moisture.
- Beans climbed the corn stalks while fixing nitrogen into the soil to enhance fertility.
This natural symbiosis created a sustainable, nutrient-rich farming practice that’s still appreciated today in gardens across the country. The Three Sisters not only fed communities for centuries but also laid the foundation for intercrop farming systems still studied and replicated.
—Mark Oppold, American Agriculture History Minute
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