THE NEW WORLD TRINITY

CORN, BEANS AND SQUASH - I

Fig. 1 - Maize, beans and squash

Organic Native American Horticulture
The wisdom of the aborigines

     The French gave us "mirepoix" (celery, carrots and onions), the Cajun gave us "trinity" (green peppers, celery and green onions), and the Mayans gave us maize, beans and squash. This New World Trinity spread from Mesoamerica north and south and became the foundation of the diet of the aboriginal people of this hemisphere. With it came civilization: transforming the hunters into farmers, builders, astronomers, mathematicians, and artists.

Fig. 2- Combined planting diagram

Fig. 3 - A traditional Mayan milpa

          

   

Ancient legends of the Americas, north and south, demonstrate the importance of corn in the form of allegories. These themes are repeated over and over, with local variants, by every different tribe.   Corn, Indian corn, or maize, nevertheless, is seldom the only character in the stories.  It is usually accompanied by beans and squash.

Fig. 4 - A variety of heirloom Guatemalan dried beans

This trinity comes from a tradition of inter-planting these crops in the same mounds. The knowledge of this technology and its benefits was widespread among Native American farming societies when the first Europeans arrived. This basic combination created a sophisticated, sustainable system that protected and enhanced the plants during their growth and provided long-term soil fertility.

Fig. 5 - Varieties of squash

Fig. 6 - Yellow squash and calabash

Corn provides a natural pole for bean vines to climb. Beans fix nitrogen on their roots, improving the overall fertility of the plot by providing nitrogen to the following years corn. Bean vines also help stabilize the corn plants, making them less vulnerable to blowing over in the wind. Shallow-rooted squash vines become a living mulch, shading emerging weeds and preventing soil moisture from evaporating, thereby improving the overall crops chances of survival in dry years. 

Spiny squash plants also help discourage predators from approaching the corn and beans. 

The large amount of crop residue from this planting combination can be incorporated back into the soil at the end of the season, to build up the organic matter and improve its structure.

Fig. 7 - Calabash pumpkin drying

Fig. 8  - Harvest of gourds drying

Corn, beans and squash also complement each other nutritionally. Corn was the primary crop, providing more calories or energy per acre than any other. Corn provides carbohydrates, the dried beans are rich in protein, balancing the lack of necessary aminoacids found in corn. Beans, more than corn, reduce the need for hunting for meat. Finally, squash yields both vitamins from the fruit and healthful, delicious oil from the seeds. Corn, beans and squash were among the first important crops domesticated by ancient Mesoamerican societies. Of these, squash was probably domesticated before the others as many varieties of the gourd family are also found around the world, and gourds have been incorporated as a resource for human use since before the migrations into this continent began. 

Fig. 9 - Bowls made of dried gourd bottoms

Fig. 10 - Containers made of dried gourds

Fig. 11 - "Tecomates" - water containers out of dried gourds

Dried gourds, particularly calabash (opo squash, long melon or bottle gourd) have been used as liquid containers since time immemorial. They are also the source of many domestic utensils and tools (bottles, spoons, ladles, scrapers, bowls, cups, drums, string instruments, and rattles) and most likely, the inspiration of early pottery shapes. In many parts of the world they are still being used in the same way and are the basis of admired handcraft art.  As archaeological artifacts they are not as lasting as pottery.  Their organic nature makes perishable in most conditions after only a few years.

Not all gourds/squash can be dried to take advantage of their skin and shape. Not all are edible. Most can be used in diverse ways.  Common varieties in America's modern diet are the traditional pumpkin, yellow squash, zucchini, spaghetti squash, and butternut squash. The tender leaves and tendrils are also edible and their blooms are a delicatessen.

For the ancients, gourds were not only a food staple. They were an important source of almost ready made utensils and tools growing nearby on their garden plots.

Fig. 12 - Gourds crafted into decorated utensils in an African market