By Claudia A. Fox Tree
Sketch by Claudia A. Fox Tree
I imagine that in the year 3000, the world will start over with seeds and stories. As in the past, in the new beginning, there will be the Three Sisters: the oldest will grow tall and strong; the middle child will use her sibling's sturdy stalk to wind up to the sun while her roots add nitrogen to the ground; and the youngest baby sister will cover the ground protecting the family from weeds. They will give the gift of food that when eaten together will provide a complete protein with much needed vitamins and minerals. This is because in 2020, there will be seed keepers, water protectors, and land warriors.
I used my garden as inspiration and sketched the plants (but I added the finished fruits of the plants, known as vegetables). They are at different stages in the drawing and wouldn't all be in the phases depicted at the same time (pumpkins would come much later in the season, as would fully grown corn).
I once heard a story that went sort of like this: "My grandfather was a farmer, working the land for food. My father worked on someone else's land and bought food from other farmers. I buy my food at the store and hardly think about who worked the land. We've lost our way. But my grandchildren, they will again work the land for food."
