Notes to broadcasters
Using the voices of two different announcers in the script adds contrast and dramatic effect to the story.
Script
FADE IN SOFT, MELODIC MUSIC AND HOLD UNDER NARRATIVE.
Narrator 1:
This is a story about three sisters.
Narrator 1:
Three sisters live together in a garden.The sisters take care of one another. The first sister stands straight and tall, providing support for the second sister.The second sister provides nourishment for the others.And the third sister protects all three from intruders.The sisters live as a family and help each other.
FADE IN MUSIC.
HOLD MUSIC SOFTLY UNDER NARRATIVE.
Narrator 2:
The three sisters in this story represent three different crops — crops that may be familiar to you. I am going to tell the story again, but in a different way. This time I will tell you more about the crops, and the importance of each one.
FADE OUT MUSIC.
Narrator 1:
Three sisters grow together in a farmer’s field. The sisters are close and protect one another. The first sister, standing straight and tall, provides support for the second sister. The second sister is a climber. She adds nitrogen to the soil, feeding and nourishing the other two. The third sister covers the soil with broad leaves, preventing weeds from growing. In these ways, each sister helps the others. The sisters grow faster and stronger with each other’s help.
FADE IN MUSIC AND HOLD SOFTLY UNDER NARRATIVE.
Narrator 2:
Have you guessed which three crops we are talking about? The three crops, represented by three sisters in the story, are: maize, beans and squash. Many farmers know that these three crops grow well together. When you plant the three sisters together, you will have a lot of food to harvest at the end of the season.
SHORT MUSICAL BREAK.
Narrator 1:
Here is how you can plant the three sisters — maize, beans and squash — on your land.Make a small hill of soil.The hill should be one foot tall, and twice as wide. Plant five maize seeds in a circle in the hill. Plant the seeds an equal distance apart. When the maize is a little taller than your ankle, plant four climbing bean seeds in the hill around the maize stalks. Finally, the last thing to do is to plant four squash seeds in the hill around the maize stalks. As the three sisters grow, observe how they help one another.
Narrator 2:
I think if you try growing these three crops together — maize, beans and squash — you will find it is a successful experiment.
Narrator 1:
It is certainly worth a try.You only have to prepare the soil once.
Narrator 2:
But you harvest THREE crops!
Narrator 1:
I think you will notice that your maize will not be damaged by pests.
Narrator 2:
And you will harvest more food from less land.
Acknowledgements
Contributed by: Jennifer Pittet, Researcher/writer, Toronto, Canada.
Reviewed by: Vigneswaran Thievendaram, Agriculture specialist, Cambridge, Canada.
Notes
The three sisters described in this script — maize, beans and squash — are commonly grown together. They are a traditional combination especially in Native American cultures. Farmers can experiment with different combinations; different kinds of squash or beans can be planted along with the maize. For example in the Philippines, farmers plant pigeon peas as one of the sister crops.
Information sources
Agroecology: Ecological processes in sustainable agriculture, Chapter 15, “Species interactions in crop communities,” Stephen R. Gleissman, 1998. Ann Arbor Press, 121 South Main Street, Chelsea, MI, USA.
“Corn-bean-squash intercrop in Mexico,” 1999, Agroecology Research Group.
“Growing ‘the three sisters’: corn, beans, and squash,” Garden Gate Magazine.
“Gardeners can use Iroquois method.”
