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 start of a new week and I am so happy to share a moment of your day, right here on Ranch Raised.
Most of our area was in a red flag warning and brought the reality of vast grassland fires. Then the weather turned and brought a spring storm that for a moment quenched the earth for those that were lucky.
I was hit with a spring blizzard at our new place, calving by myself, except for and 8 year old and 2 year old of course. We haven’t seen snow like that in a few years! It was a tense and grueling 24 hours and that truly tested me like I haven’t been tested in a very long time. The cows really opened up full throttle shelling out babies! I wish I could say it all went off without a hitch but I did have a calf that was old enough to know better get drifted under and another that was old enough to know better get himself into an unfortunate situation. But, I saved a twin calf that had a grieving momma happy to take him. I was having calves so fast I couldn’t keep up on my calving book and forget about getting them all tagged in that blizzard.
I was never so happy to see my husband then we he barely got plowed down to the ranch Saturday afternoon. Once the dust was settled, literally and figuratively, my husband let me know my stats weren’t that bad and he counted that I had welcomed 33 new calves in less that 48 hours that he was gone. If this life were easy everyone would be doing it. With every passing year, I think it becomes easier for us still left in farming and ranching to see why so many are leaving.
I know we are clinging to our faith a little more these days and ourselves here at the Jones Ranch included. But, I will send some prayers up for all of us tending to our herds, getting ready to plant the fields, and trying to feed our neighbors.
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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