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!
It’s the circle of life kind of week here on Ranch Raised.
It’s back to telling you all about my best Border Collie girl, Diego, today on Ranch Raised.
Around the ranch she was referred to as, “momma’s dog.” I don’t know why because when we brought her home, we had two little girls to shower her with attention but for whatever reason, she chose me as her person. She would work cattle great for my husband until I came out of the house, then she was by my side and my husband lost his cattle hand and then both Diego and I seemed to be in trouble. My family would say that if I was around Diego only had her ears on for mom.
And then I got to watch Diego become a momma which seemed to deepen our bond not only was she my companion but like any female that has borne young there is a certain understanding that transcends species. Diego had two litters during her earlier years that produced somewhere around 16 really good pups. But I knew that she didn’t really love being a momma. Her heart and her happy place was working cattle.
My daughter kept Dixie out of Diego’s second and last litter. Some thing changed in Diego when she became a grandma. She couldn’t wait to meet her grand babies! She jumped right into the whelping box and laid down and let the puppies start nursing on her. Dixie seemed to be okay with sharing the maternal responsibility and I figured, “oh well, what could it hurt?” Well, all be darn, within a few days of that suckling stimulation Diego came in to her milk and that litter of 8 puppies had not one but 2 lactating females to feast off of!
Come back tomorrow and I will wrap up my series on my ole pal, Diego!
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.
karina@youragnetwork.com or visit facebook.com/ranchraisedwithkarinajones
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