Ranch Raised

It is the time of year when romance is waning. Cattle producers across the land are checking their bovine gestational pocket calendars to see when it is time to separate the boys from the girls. We call this process, “pulling bulls.”

I have special poem that I found about the county fair that I want to share with all of you!

Last week I unplugged and completely shut out the rest of world. It allowed me to focus on what was right in front of me. I observed a lot of great things like kids playing in the sandbox next to the show arena, jumping in bounce houses, and eating snow cones. I saw teenagers playing card games in the beef barn and helping their friends exercise goats. I saw swine kids offering their pigs for practice sessions and advice to kids who made it to the Elite Showmanship contest but did not have pigs of their own to practice on. I saw what I would consider heroic displays of sportsmanship, humility, and grace in and out of that dirt arena.

Thanks for tuning in to Fun, Fact Friday, right here on Ranch Raised! Let’s start off the first Friday in August with a product you probably were not expecting!

Boy are you in for a sweet treat this week. All year long, my girls scour the internet looking for 4-H baking ideas, which is just fine with my husband, but because he has a big sweet tooth! I guess a perk of being a girl dad is being their official test taster.

Today we celebrate National Horseradish Month, so let’s learn about the root vegetable that adds a kick to meat and side dishes.

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!