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!
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As I stew on this subject of saving small town America and the independently owned businesses that give each community their unique imprint on their trade area, I cannot let go of the sad reality of all that we have to lose by continuing this shift towards consuming from corporations.
I have done a lot of deep diving on this subject by interviewing many people involved in the anti-trust realm on the national level. You can find those podcasts on all of the major podcast platforms on the R-CALF USA Round Up channel. Infact, just today, we released a new podcast with thee Matt Stoller who is one of America’s most outspoken anti-trust gurus. Matt writes an email newsletter called, “BIG” that I highly recommend subscribing to if you are interested in this topic.
On the podcast, Matt reminisced how decades ago a cross country road trip would introduce you to entirely new snack choices at gas stations as you moved through US regions. The snack choices in the south were different than those in the Midwest because there were local and regional companies producing the food. Now, well, you have the same options at every convenience store across the country because there is no longer that diversity in ownership or choice in our food systems.
You think you have all of these choices of crackers and cookies when you go into the grocery store, but if you really researched, all those labels are owned by just a couple of mega corporations that give the illusion that you have choices.
I’ve got more to say this week on this subject of the corporate takeover of our lives!
HOT BARN REPORT: Shop Small, Shop Local, Support Rural America
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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