Work Shy Gardener

The Iroquois Indians never gave it much thought, but there was a lot of science behind their farming methods, both nutritional and agricultural.

Many Indian tribes were dependant on hunter/gather behavior, but when one item could not be found there was a deficit in the nutrition. The three sisters are interesting because they are a balanced diet. Corn supplies carbohydrates and a variety of important amino acids. Beans have protein, including two essential amino acids that corn lacks. Squash contributes vitamin A. Squash seeds also contain quality fats that corn and beans lack. So the Iroquois stayed relatively health all the time.

So what about the agriculture? Corn is a heavy nitrogen feeder, squash need pollinators, and the Indians did not really plow the land. So why this combination? Initial feeding of the corn was done with fish, a couple small minnows with the seeds, once the corn in 7" tall the beans were planted, which climb the corn (trellising) and like most legumes they fix nitrogen into the base of the corn plant right out of the air. The beans also attracts pollinators with their flowers, kept picked for a few weeks beans create a lot of flowers and the pollinators get used to returning. Once the beans are a foot tall or so, the pumpkins were planted and by the time they set flowers the bees know right where to go (they have been trained). At that point the last 1/2 of the beans were allowed to grow and mature, dry out and stored for seed and food, same for the corn.

All the shaman of the Iroquois knew is it worked. But there was a lot of good reason why it worked and was sustainable. The early settlers owed quite a bit to this method also, because these were the staples the Indians traded them, and taught them to grow.

Next time... Some garden pictures and plans for a micro orchard.

Iroquois Indians lived in new york area and were not what I would call true farmers, they were still a nomadic people for the most part, There was really very little "science" in the farming, like irrigation systems, they mostly acted on cultural mystic belief, they didn't really know why what they did worked. But farming did let them range a lot further than other tribes. The key to travel is absolutely knowing that when you get there you will have food. Without this assurance it was very dicey to move.

Farming was "woman's work" but for the Iroquois Indians this was not a sexist thing. In fact, although the chief was always male, he was elected by women. Divorce was allowed but the children stayed with their mother. In Iroquois culture women had at least equal status to men but in some case had higher status. they farmed because they could be trusted with the task.

Farming today, for the small gardener, is about fresh produce. But for the Iroquois it was about sustained survival. Lets look at the three sisters. Grist corn or popcorn had very low moisture and stored well, this is not the sweet corn we tend to grow. Rattle Snake beans, named for the sound they make when dry, also stored well. Finally pumpkins, most do not realize that kept dry and intact a pumpkin will store for months. They are heavy though so this was most likely a food they ate when they were staying somewhere.

There were three priorities for all early farmers though, first was seed. Second storage crops for winter, then fresh produce. remember, specially for a culture like the Iroquois, food was easy to find in the spring and summer, gathering and hunting were sources of fresh foods. survival was about making it through the winter for everyone. Even in Europe where the potato was a big deal, it was because it stored over winter in the ground.

We farm for very different reasons now, but this year I will be trying to follow these principals, seed saving, storage foods and the produce. The proof will be in next years crop, since I will be hopefully using the seed from this years crop.

Next time... The science of the three sisters