Press Release about Three Sisters Project (June 2022)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 21, 2022
Inspirational Three Sisters Sunshine Experiment
with Sunflowers and Community Seed Distribution
in Evansville, Indiana
Indigenous Intercropping, Economic Impact,
and Ancient/Heirloom Seed Distribution
Contact:
Lindsey Krantz
Principal Investigator
Catalpa Tree Publishing, LLC
(510) 478-6615
catalpatree@pm.me
www.catalpatree.net
Evansville, IN 47714
Se habla español.
Firstly, this Project honors the Indigenous peoples who steward these plants' genetics into current times since time immemorial.
This Project demonstrates Three Sisters intercropping in 2022 and again in 2023. A goal of this Project is to share knowledge and camaraderie with neighbors and with all people interested in the Project. In Spring 2023, this Project distributes about $1,000's worth of heirloom/ancient seeds. The community can replicate and/or innovate on this Project's design to grow highly nutritious produce to eat, barter, and/or sell as a specialty crop.
Field Day #1: 9am-12 noon: July 30, 2022
Field Day #2: 9am-12 noon: September 24, 2022
2022 Harvest Festival: Ceremony at 8am; Festivities from 10am-4pm, October 8, 2022.
2023 has 2 Field Days and a Harvest Festival, too.
Farm near corner of Covert and Vann in Evansville, IN 47714
The Project's Three Sisters intercropping grows these companion plants together in 18 mounds:
Jimmy Red Corn
Gete Okosomin Squash
1,500-Year-Old New Mexican Cave Bean
Plus 3 mounds of Arikara Sunflowers.
To register to receive seeds and/or be a Vendor at the Harvest Festivals, contact Lindsey Krantz at www.catalpatree.net or catalpatree@pm.me or 510-478-6615.
Sunshine experiment
This Project conducts a natural experiment:
14 of the mounds are in deep shade. 7 of the mounds get nearly-full sun. This Project analyzes the variance in crop production between sunny and shady conditions as measured by weight of crop produced. The Principal Investigator will also compare production in 2022 to 2023's harvest. Results will be shared.
The average hourly rate for sub-contractors is $25/hour, which is much more than most jobs in the neighborhood.
There is no fee for Field Days. Free-will donations are appreciated.
Contact Lindsey about becoming a Vendor at the Harvest Festival.
In 2022, the USDA's North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture and Education Program (NCR SARE) awarded Lindsey $15,000 for this 2-year project. The majority is for sub-contractors' labor and expertise and for seeds. Their average hourly rate is $25.
Preliminary statistical analysis of productivity of sunny vs. shady plots, as measured by weight of crop harvested, will be presented at Harvest Festival 2022, with more comprehensive results to be presented at Harvest Festival 2023.
Lindsey, who is from Boonville, says, “This project is a long-time dream coming true. It distributes seeds just as food prices spiral upwards. Three Sisters intercropping was common here before European disease swept through and Europeans arrived. We're bringing it back and hope to distribute knowledge and 1,000s of these seeds to the people in Spring 2023. Register for seeds today!”
This project is supported by New Growth Landscapes & Irrigation and by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2021-38640-34714 through the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number FNC22-1337. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.
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New Growth Landscapes and Irrigation