Would you try making biochar in your backyard?
Chapter 1

The glass bubble that ran out of breath

Chapter 2

Ancient secrets of the three sisters

Chapter 3

The town of forty-five trash bins

Chapter 4

Surviving on cosmic drops

YOUR GOAL

Master of The survival guide for a self-sustaining planet

Ch 2 · Ancient secrets of the three sisters
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007skaty Traditional Indigenous farming relies on the Three Sisters companion planting method.

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007skaty Ancient Three Sisters Agriculture

Corn climbs tall to help the beans reach the sky, While squash shades the earth so the soil won't go dry.

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Sustained abundance relies on complementary roles, not competition.

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007skaty The science of Maya companion planting

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The black gold of the Amazon

007skaty Combining charcoal, animal bones, and organic waste created a resilient dark soil that prevents nutrient loss during heavy

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The roles of the three sisters

007skaty A color-coded diagram shows climbing beans on corn stalks above wide squash leaves.

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Three Sister Sprouts
BETA

007skaty Plant corn, beans, and squash together to learn how companion crops help each other thrive.

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Fun Fact

Terra Preta age: Radiocarbon dating reveals some charcoal in Amazonian Terra Preta soils is up to 7,000 years old and still fertile.

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Glossary
companion planting (noun)
The practice of growing different plants close together so that they benefit each other. Indigenous North American tribes historically used this technique to grow corn, beans, and squash in symbiotic mounds.

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Gossip

Which of the Three Sisters is your favorite to eat?

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Quiz

Compared to the poor surrounding soils of the Amazon, how much more charcoal does Terra Preta contain on average?

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007skaty Biochar is an ancient charcoal that improves soil fertility.

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Gossip

Would you try making biochar in your backyard?

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Quiz

Which of the following crop trios makes up the traditional Indigenous agricultural system known as the Three Sisters?

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Quiz

What is the modern term for the stable, porous charcoal used to improve soil health and sequester carbon?

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Quiz

What vital nutrient do beans add to the soil in the Three Sisters planting system to fertilize their neighbors?

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Quiz

What is the Portuguese term for the highly fertile, human-made black soil found in patches across the Amazon Basin?

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Quiz

For how many years has the Maya milpa system of intercropping been practiced in Central America and Mexico?

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Quiz

What is the primary role of the squash plant in the Three Sisters symbiotic agricultural system?

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Quiz

Which ingredient was intentionally added by ancient Amazonians to Terra Preta to give it its dark color and nutrient retention?

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