Three Sisters Gold Coin

On the Pilgrimage of Peace to India I observed that in rural institutes like Navdanya often used a method of growing various plants together, called “companion planting”, or polycuture, a very old and sustainable way of planting crops. I have been asking friends about what plants grow well together. One friend suggested the Three Sisters squash, maize (corn) and climbing beans. These Three Sisters are the main agriculture crops of some Native American groups in North America. He admitted he did not know about planting the three together but thought of it because the Three Sisters are pictured on back of the Sacagawea American Gold Dollar coin.

Maybe I will try this grouping in the garden in the back of the house since I already grow beans and squash there. However, in the new garden in front of the house I would like to find another plant that goes with the two the full sun plants of tomatoes and basil? Any suggestions? Maybe some oregano and green peppers, keeping with the Italian theme and with sun dependent plants.


I need to contact Navadanya since they have experimented widely with companion planting, some plots with 10 or 12 plants growing together. They are also one of the places I am trying to contact about turning cow dung directly into vermicomposting.

The notion that certain plants grow better in groupings is an old one that came from the observation of nature. Properties of individual plants when grown together help fertilize each other and ward off insects.

There is a lot we humans can learn from “companion planting”. We also as groups can grow as humans when we work together. As Will Allen’s Growing Power says: “Together we are growing power.”

Mother Nature teaches us to be like the “Three Sisters”, good as gold together.

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