From our Three Sisters garden, we picked our own corn today, the first time in my life and Maria’s that we are eating corn that we grew from seeds. The corn looks strong we will have it for lunch, along with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella cheese and some watermelon.

The Three Sisters gardens are a sacred part of Iroquois and American colonial history, the idea of the inseparable three sisters – beans, squash and corn – growing together inseparably in a garden. People can live on these three healthy foods and many Native-Americans and early colonials did.

The Three Sisters  garden has come to symbolize the friendship and connection of women to one another. For us, it is part of our evolving relationship with the natural world, our consideration of the environment, our personal spiritual yearnings. Eating this corn today is a big deal for me, and a testament to Maria’s power as a gardener. Next year, it will be at least twice as large, we have enjoyed the cucumbers and squash.

I am an urban creature, the idea of eating food that we have grown is compelling. I will still shop for most of my food, I’m not looking to homestead, but this part of our lives will grow.