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!
Saying “Goodbye” to an old friend! Thanks for starting the week with me right here on Ranch Raised.
I admit that there are a few of my worldly possessions that I truly covet, like my husband, children, and my wedding ring to name a few. I also have an affinity for the items in my home that allow me to take care of my family like my sewing machine and some of my favorite tools in my kitchen.
This weekend I was struck with sorrow when one of my kitchen tools that I use almost daily this time of year laid down on me, so to speak. After years of faithful service to me and my family producing preserved foods to fill my pantry and hungry tummies, she literally gave out after giving me all she had.
I am talking about the matriarch of any food preservation home. A true workhorse in home canning. My blue water bath canner rusted out a hole the size of dime rendering it useless in holding water. I was completely caught off guard by her sudden passing as I had just used her the day before and she showed no signs of fatigue or slowing down.
But, alas, all I hold now are the memories and the abundant remnants of our time spent together marked by a pantry full quart and pint mason jars brimming with fruits and vegetables to sustain my family.
While her glory of being a useful tool in my kitchen is now laid to rest, I envision a new future for her next life. It’s not goodbye, merely a “see you later”, later next spring, when I fill you with soil and turn you into a beautiful flowerpot!
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 former role as full time Field Director for R-CALF USA.
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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