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!
While our Border Collie brigade plays a vital role in the inner workings of our ranch, I will tell you that there is more to having these dogs than just having them round up and push cattle.
A few years back our oldest daughter begged us to let her try the dog 4-H project. I can’t say I was really excited. When I looked at our local dog 4-H club’s practice schedule all I could see was a LOT of trips to town for practice, and if you know me that was a huge turn off for this homebody!
Begrudgingly we let her start the project and going to practices in January of that year. I secretly thought, we will let her go to a few practices and this will all fizzle out. I was wrong. She became addicted to these training sessions. And as the months of practices led up to county fair, she became committed to becoming the best dog trainer she could be.
In our county there are around 30 dog practices from January until county fair. It is an incredible commitment. The kids also have to give a breed report about their dog. These kids are amazing and take so much pride in their pooches training them in obedience, showmanship, and agility.
Not only do I get to witness the dog’s training growth, I get to watch as kids blossom over the year into confident, well communicating, compassionate young people. All because they committed to training a dog.
Come back tomorrow and we will wrap up what I did not intend to become national dog week on Ranch Raised, but hey I was just going with the flow. I also have a sneak peek for next week!
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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.
karina@youragnetwork.com or visit facebook.com/ranchraisedwithkarinajones
