His Substitute Mail-Order Bride. Sherri Shackelford

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      Dear Reader,

      I was fascinated to learn that a vault on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen contains almost a million packets of seeds, each variety an important food crop. The Global Seed Vault is an international initiative that provides protection for these valuable commodities against the challenges of natural and man-made disasters.

      When Anna was collecting seeds in 1869, there were at least 285 varieties of cucumbers for her to plant. If she were gardening now, she’d have limited varieties from which to choose. While savings seeds from year to year was common, Anna was ahead of her time in post-Civil War America in cataloging the heirloom seeds for future generations. Seeking historical varieties of seeds has become a hobby for many people in recent years.

      While gathering and growing different varieties of seeds is a fun and important way to remember our history, cultivating these seeds can also protect against blights. The Great Famine in Ireland was caused, in part, by heavy reliance on only one or two high-yielding types of potatoes. Cultivating genetic variety is often used as a protection against losing an entire crop to a disease.

      The next time you’re at the grocery store, think about all the different varieties of fruits of vegetables!

      I hope you enjoyed Anna and Russ’s story. Don’t forget to read book one of the series by Cheryl St. John, The Rancher Inherits a Family, and book three by Karen Kirst, Romancing the Runaway Bride.

      I love connecting with readers and would enjoy hearing your thoughts on this story. If you’re interested in learning more about this book or others I’ve written in the Prairie Courtships series, visit my website at SherriShackelford.com or reach me at [email protected], on Facebook at Facebook/SherriShackelfordAuthor, on Twitter @smshackelford, or with regular old snail mail: PO Box 116, Elkhorn, NE 68022.

      Thanks for reading!

       Sherri Shackelford