Episode Details

This week on the Good Growing Podcast, we dig into the Three Sisters gardening method, an Indigenous planting system that brings corn, beans, and squash together in a mutually beneficial way. Learn about the history and cultural significance behind the Three Sisters, how these three crops support one another in the garden, tips for trying it yourself at home, and more!  

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EZmR9h-dhmQ 

Skip to what you want to know:  

  00:36 – Have we ever tried the Three Sisters Gardening technique?

  03:07 – Land acknowledgment 

  09:20 – The origin of the Three Sisters 

  16:31 – What is Three Sisters agriculture/gardening?

  20:41 – Growing the Three Sisters

  31:50 – Is it an effective way to grow?

  39:53 – Eating the harvest

  50:05 – The Honorable Harvest

  57:26 – Wrap-up, what’s up next week, and goodbye!

More information

The Mohawk story of creation: Lee Claremont, TEDx Penticton

Historical Indigenous Food Preparation Using Produce of the Three Sisters Intercropping System

An Evaluation of the Productivity of the Native American 'Three Sisters' Agriculture System in Northern Wisconsin

Yield, growth, and labor demands of growing maize, beans, and squash in monoculture versus the Three Sisters 

Root foraging elicits niche complementarity-dependent yield advantage in the ancient ‘three sisters’ (maize/bean/squash) polyculture 

Uncovering Cahokia’s Food History & Forgotten Farmscapes 

Contact us! 

Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu

Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu

Emily Swihart: eswihart@illinois.edu

Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing

Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe

Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk

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