Three Sisters Project Continues to Fuel Collaborative Research in Northern Ontario

University of Guelph researchers are continuing to explore how an Indigenous planting practice called the “Three Sisters” could contribute to future small-scale, sustainable farming and community-driven research. 

In collaboration with an Indigenous-led non-profit and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA), they are observing how crop combinations of the “sisters” (corn, squash, bean, and sometimes sunflower) affect both beneficial and pest insect populations and weed control. Project partners are working to co-develop planting methods, bring people together and build relationships that will lead to sustainable, resilient ecosystems. 

With local community input and financial support from the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, the project is headed in several new directions. Read the full story: Three Sisters Project Continues to Fuel Collaborative Research in Northern Ontario