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!
Nothing is as cheery as a bright red cherry and since February is National Cherry Month, I think we better bite into this little jewel right here on Fun, Fact Friday!
The United States is a major producer of both sweet and sour cherries, comprising various distinct “cherry industries” across several US regions. The most valuable industry, fresh sweet cherries which are grown primarily east of the Pacific coastal mountain range in Washington, California, and Oregon. Fresh sweet cherries for local farm markets, and pick-your-own farm experiences are produced in the Great Lakes states of Michigan and New York, as well as in some Northeast Atlantic coast states near major urban populations, like Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey. Sour cherries are grown almost exclusively for processing, predominantly in Michigan, with lesser amounts in Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Cherries are the source of a laundry list of vitamins and nutrients! These little jewels are packed with Vitamin C, antioxidants, fiber, and potassium. The anti-inflammatory benefits of cherries should be considered if you are struggling with arthritis or gout. Adding cherries to your diet has been reported to help with better sleep and improved heart health.
Adding cherries to your diet has become easier over the years with improved methods of preserving that allow people like me to grab cherries from the freezer department or canned cherries!
I’ve got a whale of a cherry bar recipe posted on the Your Ag Network website and app! So let’s all celebrate the American cherry farmer in February by enjoying this stone fruit treat!
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.
karina@youragnetwork.com or visit facebook.com/ranchraisedwithkarinajones
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