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!
Welcome to the kickoff of National Ag Week, right here on Ranch Raised!
The rich history of agriculture in the U.S. is as rich as the soil that we walk our boots on. Let’s take a look back to where it all began and that was literally when the pilgrims came over. Since most colonists were European, the styles of agricultural cultivation and production were influenced by Europe as well. Colonists also brought a large number of livestock with them to America, which caused changes in its natural landscape.
As the population grew, farms expanded, and settlements moved from the east into the west. This caused the agricultural industry to grow exponentially, with a larger variety of produce being rooted. Once the west was populated and cultivated, a wheat frontier was formed. The east was firmly set on cattle and livestock with only a handful of small-scale crops. On the other hand, the south was dominated by tobacco and cotton. Lastly, the north was dominated by people who planted only what they needed, anything in excess was sold to the market.
America is “rooted”, see what I did there, in a history that found farming and ranching of noble profession. Community position was elevated by those that tended to herds of livestock and worked the land.
So let’s continue to celebrate the American farmer and rancher this week, here on Ranch Raised.
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 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, 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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