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!
ot all heroes wear capes! Welcome to today’s edition of Ranch Raised.
Yesterday we traveled to Atkinson, NE for my girls’ district FFA Competition.
In the very building where a young man attended school, with his sisters still attending that school, it would be broke to our FFA community, that 19 year old Jack Hoffman had succumb to a valiant battle with cancer the evening before. Jack was diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer at a young age. He battled with such courage and was in remission more than once only to have the beast return. Jack claimed national fame when he was embraced by the Nebraska Cornhusker football team and allowed to suit up during a game and run a touchdown into the endzone. America fell in love with this story. In a heartbreaking blow, Jack would lose his dad to an unrelated brain cancer a few years ago. But alas, the young man despite all he had endured, graduated high school and made it through his first semester of college making the Dean’s List. Unfortunately the disease would return with a vengeance and Jack would not return for a second semester.
By the end of a very long day of competition at West Holt High School, in Atkinson, I made sure to thank every volunteer I came into contact with. I can not imagine how hard it was for that community to host 16 other schools and put on a brave face with breaking inside of their own grief. And HUGE congratulation to Jack’s younger sister who compete with such conviction and presence far beyond her years and won herself a District Championship. This community won’t just be in my prayers with week, after what I witnessed yesterday, it will be etched in my heart forever.
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.
[email protected] or visit facebook.com/ranchraisedwithkarinajones
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