We're approaching the end of the growing season here in the Aztec Ruins Heritage Garden. This was the first summer in several years where we had any crops growing in the garden, and the beans in particular did quite well!
Beans were the third and final of the "Three Sisters" crops to be domesticated by American Indians. In addition to providing a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals for people, they were also a game-changer for farming. Unlike most plants, beans, peas, lentils, and other legumes have a symbiotic relationship with microorganisms that can convert atmospheric nitrogen into useful nitrogen compounds. Thus, they actively improve soil fertility as they grow! Rotating beans or growing them alongside other crops helps prevent the soil from becoming exhausted and allows for more food production in the long run.
The two bean varieties that we grew this year were Rattlesnake Beans and Black Beans, strains that were bred by the Hopi for the windy and arid climate of the Hopi Mesas and that also grow well in the Four Corners region. They are similar to (though not exactly the same as) the varieties of beans grown at AZRU by the ancestors of the Hopi and the other modern Pueblo nations. The seeds were allowed to dry on the vine and will now be saved to be planted next season. Indeed, the main purpose of the Heritage Garden is to play a role in saving these seeds, so it's exciting that we were able to do that this year!
Photos: A beige basket containing Hopi Black Beans (1), a brown, white, and orange basket containing speckled brown Rattlesnake Beans (2), by Nicoletta Browne (NPS)
Original source can be found here.
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