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!
Its like all the songs say, “take 2 steps forward, one step back….slide to the left, slide to the right….criss cross.”
Springtime on the ranch means an eclectic mix of activities each day that keeps you running in all directions. You might start your day looking for new baby calves bundled up like an Eskimo and by midafternoon you are sweating, shedding layers while you muck out the barn, shoe horses, fix fence or change a tire. The beautiful weather is inviting us to make a break for it today and take a few hours off the ranch to cheer on our middle school daughter at her track meet. This is the first track meet of the season we have been able to attend and if any of you are familiar with this life, you know you take these opportunities because it might be the last. The kids have an end of the year celebration of some sort every night this week but they still manage to make it to the barn when we get home and get calves cleaned and clipped because they are planning on hitting a local show this weekend.
The baby calves are growing like weeds. And well, I’m sure the weeds are growing too. We have received just enough moisture for the brome grass to pop, but we remain on our knees in prayer asking for more. The couple goat kids are ready to be weaned. My motley crew of cluckers are laying. And all my kids are ready to be out of school for summer.
If that doesn’t all spell spring, I don’t know what does! That means neighborhood brandings are happening all around. Which translates to feeding a very hungry crew. I’m here to help you out. This week I will revisit the Ranch Raised Recipe book and let you know some of my branding day favorite foods! If you miss an episode this week, all my recipes are the Your Ag Network App and website.
Karina ranches with her husband, Marty, and 4 children 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 former 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, where she deep dives into cattle industry issues and 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 Jones 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
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