Food & Agriculture

Food

Cuisine in The Free Lands blends regional specialties, traditional techniques, and new flavors from trade. At the heart of many meals are The Three Sisters — corn, beans, and squash — cultivated together in a method that fosters both taste and sustainability. These staple foods, symbolizing cooperation and community, are combined with unique regional foods, like smoked salmon from the Ti'Swaq Alliance. This delicacy is preserved using age-old smoking methods, enhancing its rich flavor and making it a sought-after item in Cahokia’s markets. Maple syrup from the Haudenosaunee adds a natural sweetness, harvested each spring through careful labor that reflects the seasonal rhythm of the region.

The Dine Republic contributes cholla buds, desert plants packed with calcium and fiber, which are dried and then rehydrated for stews, adding a distinctive flavor to traditional meals. Expanding trade has introduced crops like tomatoes and melons, providing fresh variety alongside the Three Sisters and other heritage ingredients. The cuisine of the Free Lands celebrates both its ancestral roots and diverse influences, bringing people together through a shared appreciation of food.

Agriculture

Agriculture in the Free Lands combines traditional inter cropping methods with modern innovations for a sustainable and diverse food system. At the core of this agricultural practice are the Three Sisters — corn, beans, and squash — which are planted together to enhance soil health and support one another’s growth. This ancient technique maximizes harvest yields while embodying the values of resilience and community. Passed down through generations, the Three Sisters method remains a cornerstone of farming across Cahokia and the surrounding Free Lands.

Innovations like climate-controlled greenhouses allow crops such as tomatoes and peppers to grow year-round, adding nutritional variety to traditional diets. Sustainable hunting of buffalo, elk, and deer supplements these plant-based diets, preserving wildlife populations through regulated hunting seasons. This blend of tradition and technology supports a robust food system where respect for nature guides agricultural practices and where the Three Sisters symbolize the enduring bond between people and the land.