Companion Planting

 

Companion planting is a type of polyculture that involves growing different kinds of crops close to each other. (Polyculture is anytime of agriculture that where different plants are planted in the same space, such as crop rotation)  Companion planting can help restore some of the biodiversity that would otherwise be eliminated when land is converted to agriculture.

One of the better-known examples of companion planting is the "three sisters" of the Native Americans. The Native Americans would plant corn seeds in a mound about 1' tall and 2' wide. They often buried dead fish in theses mounds to increase soil fertility. Once the corn reached about 6", the Native Americans would plant a mix of beans and squash around the corn.

The beans, which are legumes, would help increase the soil's nitrogen content. The squash would shade out weeds, help keep the soil most, and discourage pests with its prickly surface. The corn provided support for the bean vines to grow. Together, these three crops could provide most of the nutrients that a person would need to maintain a balanced diet (but each on its own does not carry all the essential nutrients).

I think this type of farming may be worth looking into, especially since the technique and the plants involved are native to North America. There are also many other plant combinations that have been developed by different cultures aroudn the world that could also be adapted to our area.