A few weeks ago I came across a vegetarian recipe with a name I couldn’t resist – Three Sisters Stew. I found the recipe on Cookus Interuptus, a fun website that offers short comedic cooking instructional videos. I decided it would be the perfect meal to test out at this weeks Sister Sunday Dinner.

While I love a tasty dish, a meal with an interesting story is even better. Thus is the case with Three Sisters Stew. The story comes from Native American folklore, and while I encountered several variations, most center on three maidens who love each other despite their differences, and who thrive when they are together. In my favorite variation, the three maidens are sisters who constantly argue. When their mother prays for help, the wise Creator turns the squabbling girls into corn, beans, and squash thus ensuring harmony between the sisters, and food stability for the native people.

Corn, beans and squash are a perfect example of companion crops – plants that thrive when planted in close proximity. Companion crops can work together by helping to manage pests, attract pollinators, and even boost flavor. In the case of corn, beans and squash, the beans are able to use the tall corn stalks as a trellis, while replenishing the nitrogen that the corn leaches from the soil. The low growing squash will sprawl in the empty space, providing ground covering to shade the roots and preserve moisture. When eaten together, these three crops also provide a balanced meal with carbohydrates from the corn, protein from the beans, and vitamins from the squash.

I was thrilled to discover that the harmonious growing system is paralleled by equally harmonious flavors. The recipe as printed on Cookus Interuptus comes from Feeding The Whole Family by Cynthia Lair. I followed the recipe almost exactly, but had to substitute acorn squash for the delicatta that was called for. It was delicious!

Beyond the interesting tale and the great taste, is a time-tested example of polyculture farming at work. Planting multiple crops in the same space was one of the founding principals of the grassroots organic movement, and is a major component of permacultre farming, which strives to emulate the functionality of natural ecosystems. By using a well-planned, integrated system of plants and animals, you can maximize the output of crops while minimizing the damage to the environment.

I would love to see a United States Farm Bill that encourages polyculture planting instead of subsidizing monoculture commodity crops. In a recent Mother Jones interview with Michael Pollan, he suggests that a more effective subsidy system would be one that is based on quality not productivity. I couldn’t agree more. Subsidies for green farming - organic, polyculture, permaculture - would lead not only to a healthier food system, but a healthier planet as well. The timeless wisdom of the three sisters story provides us with the building blocks upon which we can create a more sustainable future.