The Lenapes lived by collecting wild food, cultivating crops, hunting and fishing. Farming and gardening were extremely important. Thousands of years ago, before cultivating crops, the Lenape were dependent upon the habits and seasonal migrations of animals, something that human beings have little control over. By farming the Lenape had a food supply they could better control and depend on. In addition to the native wild plants and animals, the Lenape could produce a food supply with a surplus for emergencies and trade. They were able to settle into larger and more powerful communities.

Crop cultivation changed Lenape culture in other ways also. Men had been the hunters and fishermen, while women were responsible for gathering wild plants and shellfish. With farming, the woman's role became more important as food producers. Women planted, weeded, and harvested the crops. The Lenape also sought the aid of spirit powers that control the sun, rain, and earth for help in farming. This led to new ceremonies. Ceremonies of thanksgiving for the blessings of rain and harvest and for ensuring good crops were practiced.

Most planting sites were located on level ground near rivers, ponds, and coastal areas. The sachem, or head of the community would allot sections of fertile ground to each household. They had the right to cultivate and harvest it. The size of the lot depended upon the ability of the women to harvest it.

Cutworms are threat to young corn plants. These underground worms are aptly named for they can cut down the shoots causing great damage and loss. Pick them out of the ground by hand

Birds are damaging to the corn, especially crows and blackbirds. They are interested only in the seeds so protection is necessary at planting time and as the corn begins to ripen. Though crows might do damage to the corn, Natives would not kill them because of the tradition of the Crow bringing the first corn and bean to the people from Kautantowit's field. Blackbirds cause more crop loss than any other animal. In order to prevent this kind of destruction, the Native People built "little watch-houses" in the fields in which the women or the older children stayed to scare away the birds.

A similar device was used by the coastal people of North Carolina in the late 1500's. The English colonist John White of Roanoke made a painting of the native town called Secota. The scene shows a cornfield with a watch tower in it. A caption to an engraving of the painting mentions the fact that the watchman "maketh continual cryes and noyse" to scare away the birds and beasts which could damage the crop. The Secota watch tower was built upon four large posts with a platform higher than the tops of the cornstalks. On the platform is a shelter of a half round form. The New England watch houses are not described, but may have been similar to the North Carolina type. Deer and other mammals would not be such a problem due to the fact that they would be eaten by humans.

Another method used to keep birds away from the garden was to keep some type of hawk tame around the house to scare away the birds. No details are provided as to how these hawks were gotten or whether they were tethered to keep them around.

Other animals may have been somewhat of a problem, but certainly not as bad as the blackbirds. Woodchucks do some damage, but in the 17th century they also served as food for humans. Young boys and dogs may have hunted them, thus keeping their population down. Keeping the areas surrounding the cornfields clear of underbrush would have eliminated ground cover for rodents. The Native People did not fence their fields. [NOTE: We have found that a mixture of black pepper, red pepper, and dry mustard sprinkled on the mounds will discourage woodchucks. Care should be taken that none of the spices get directly on the plants as this will burn them. The repellent should be sprinkled on after each rain until the plants are grown enough to be safe.]

In late May-early June, when the corn reachs six or seven inches high, it has to be weeded. With a broad hoe, scrape away the weeds and loosen the earth.

As the corn grows, so does the squash and beans. The bean vines climb the stalks while the squashes and pumpkins spread out across the ground in between the hills. Beans put nitrogen into the soil which corn needs to grow. The squash and pumpkin vines trail out across the ground and their broad leaves shade the soil from direct sunlight discouraging