Historic Deerfield's Three Sisters Garden

Historic Deerfield's Three Sisters Garden. Historic Deerfield. , Welcome. This living exhibit interprets a Native American agricultural method of companion-planting three crops called the Three Sisters: corn (maize), beans, and squash. Growing these three plants together is very labor efficient, increases the fertility of the soil, and enriches the diet of people eating these crops. This system represents generations of innovation, skill-building, and knowledge among Native peoples., In Deerfield, that Native community is the Pocumtuck. This demonstration garden reminds us that the area now known as Deerfield has long been part of the Pocumtuck homeland. Planting fields would have been one part of a wider network that included seasonal hunting territories, fishing areas, gathering places, and sacred sites. Reciprocal trade, kinship, and alliance relationships connected the Pocumtuck to other Native peoples throughout the Connecticut River Valley. You are invited to walk into the garden and enjoy its beauty.