Karina Jones is a real-life ranch wife in the Nebraska Sandhills and one of the most highly sought-after speakers in the cattle industry nationwide!
I feel like it is time to revisit a subject I talked about in the fall, and that subject is, navigating these rural roads and highways safely! If you are tuning in today, I would venture to say, you are a commuter on rural roads and highways at some point during your day or week.
Summer is a time when we all need to heighten our awareness of slow-moving farm equipment on the roads we have to share them with.
Roadway crashes involving agricultural vehicles were found to be five times more fatal than that of non-ag crashes, according to a recent study published by the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health.
Accidents involving tractors and other ag-related equipment on rural roads occurred most often on straightaways where the study speculates that this is due to motorists attempting to pass slower-moving tractors or agricultural machinery.
While less than 1 out of 5 Americans live in rural areas, more than half of fatal roadway accidents take place in rural areas, according to the United States Department of Transportation.
There is no farmer or rancher that wants to burden you with having to slow down on your travels. But, the truth is we all want to return home safely to our families at the end of every day and we want you to return home safely to yours.
So, please, do avoid distractions in your vehicle and be aware and alert of slow moving and turning farm equipment. Let’s all do our part to have a fun and safe summer on America’s roadways.
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Karina ranches with her husband, Marty, and 3 daughters near Broken Bow, NE. She grew up in western NE, with roots also in southwest SD. The cattle industry and raising kids is her passion.
Watching the cattle industry go the path that it has gone, she could no longer sit quietly at home checking cows, fixing fence, and doing all the everyday tasks wondering when some else was going to make it all better. As she became more active and outspoken on industry issues, she was asked to join the R-CALF USA staff in September 2020 as the Checkoff Petition Campaign manager. That position transcended into her current role as full time Field Director for R-CALF USA.
You can hear her almost every Friday on Your Ag Network’s Hot Barn Report that is broadcast on 60 radio stations with coverage in 9 states, where she deep dives into cattle industry issues and highlights R-CALF’s work on industry reforms. Listen to Ranch Raised on a Your Ag Network hometown station or www.youragnetwork.com where she talks about her daily life on the ranch.
Cattle producers are her people. She will meet you at the county fair, at the sale barn, or anywhere the dusty trail leads.
[email protected] or visit facebook.com/ranchraisedwithkarinajones
