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!
Balancing that parent and ranch life this time of year can be challenging. Yesterday was a perfect example. My husband and I were back and forth and all-over weaning fall calves. The girls were on their own to get their own projects done and keep themselves occupied and out of trouble.
My oldest retreats to the barn, like a ranch hermit of sorts to work hair on her cattle and goats. My middle daughter was laser focused on putting the finishing touches on her 4-H public speaking speech that she would perform later that evening. My youngest was also in the barn. Her oldest sister has gotten a lot less picky on her help and she put a blower in her 6 year old sister’s hands and put her to work blowing out heifers.
I got home from weaning, just in the nick of time to take a shower, but wait, the feed guy just messaged and said he was on his way with a feed delivery.
The two older girls and I made it to town, for the 4-H speech contest just in time. My oldest daughter brought home a silver medal in the Senior PSA contest and my middle daughter brought home double golds in the Intermediate Public Speaking and PSA contests. I am so proud of all of those little speakers!
We grabbed some celebratory ice cream and headed home to share it with my youngest daughter and husband, finding them just getting in the house from an evening filled with chores.
And that is a “day in the life of” Karina Jones here on Ranch Raised!
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Karina ranches with her husband, Marty, and 3 daughters 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 that is broadcast on 60 radio stations with coverage in 9 states, where she deep dives into cattle industry issues and highlights R-CALF’s work on 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 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
