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!
Today is the National Day of My Birth! How’s that for an intro on Ranch Raised!
Do you ever look at the rearview mirror to see how far you have come in the last 365 days? Birthdays tend to do that to a person. A year ago, I felt so uncertain and little bit lost. We were staring down the reality that we would be losing the majority of our grass to a devastating estate break up that my husband and I, along with our kids, had worked 20 years to build. I was bitter, angry, and full of anxiety, which is not a comfortable place to be for an ole gal that usually has all the answers and keep steady reins amidst the wildest chaos.
We knew that drastic decisions would have to be made to keep our cattle herd and livelihood intact. I knew that in that place, my faith would be tested more than ever before and I was preparing myself to walk through the desert, so to speak. The last year taught me that letting go and leaning on my faith would be paramount to coming out of the desert. I literally prayed to be surrounded by the right people and for an open mind to be obedient to opportunities that might be out of our comfort zone, but we would need to be willing to try.
And while we know that more mountains will be put in our path, we are ready to keep climbing. And the climbing becomes easier when let go of the baggage that you don’t need to carry any longer on your journey. This year has been a year of shedding toxic feelings and relationships in order to reach the pinnacle of peace. So this year my birthday also makes me look so forward to the future and sharing more tales from these dusty trails with all of you!
Karina ranches with her husband, Marty, and 4 children near Merriman, 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.
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.
karina@youragnetwork.com or visit facebook.com/ranchraisedwithkarinajones
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