Three Sisters

When Margaretha gave me a tour of Hayes Valley Farm a couple weeks ago, she also gave me a little lesson in permaculture. I know a bit about permaculture, but still have so much to learn!

A large part of permaculture farming involves companion planting. There are certain plants that you can plant in groups that will aid each other in different ways. These groups of companion plants are called "guilds."

One of the oldest guilds that we know of is called the Three Sisters and it is commonly assumed to have originated with the Iroquois. It has been practiced for centuries and it consists of corn, beans and squash.

The corn supplies a stalk for the beans to climb and the squash surrounds and protects the corn and beans. The beans also provide nitrogen that corn needs to grow and the squash also acts as a living mulch, which helps the crop retain water.

This system was one I had not heard of before, though I have used companion planting methods in my own gardens. I was struck by the beauty and simplicity of this solution and was inspired to create an image of the three sisters guild. This design is likely much too complex to use as a logo for the New Buchanan Commons, but this image may represent the beginnings of a logo design.