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!
I’m going to tell you about a really cool encounter we had at the Nebraska State Fair so thanks for tuning in to Ranch Raised!
Last Saturday after completing her first State Fair Fashion Revue contest my daughter was approached by a young lady from Nebraska Extension asking if she could interview her about her 4-H experience. Of course, my daughter was happy to oblige. I won’t spoil anything about her interview since it will be coming out in upcoming UN-L website and media updates.
But, then, naturally, the broadcaster in me kicked in and I couldn’t help but learn more about this young lady with an accent which led me to believe she was not a native Cornhusker. She has just arrived at her new position with Nebraska Extension. She has been traveling the world working for the BBC also known as the British Broadcasting Corporation, but she grew up in Afghanistan.
I asked her what she thought of Nebraska, and she was honest in saying that it is like no place she has ever been and felt so much safer than she had ever experienced. She admitted she had never been to any event like the NE State Fair. She then looked at my daughter and said, “You are so lucky in America to have 4-H. In Afghanistan kids do not know what they want to be when they grow up. They don’t have these opportunities. They don’t ever get to dream.”
Wow! That was like a heart check moment for my daughter and I. Kids, take the time to be deeply grateful for all of the opportunities that you have been given whether it be in 4-H, athletics, the fine arts or whatever. And don’t forget to thank the people that make it all possible.
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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