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!
Ode to Valentine’s Day
Calving then.
Calving still.
Always Have.
Probably Always Will.
Welcome to this Valentine’s Day edition of Ranch Raised! That little ditty that I wrote popped up on my Facebook memories from 7 years ago. We used to AI our heifer on Mother’s Day weekend so that we didn’t need to make any dinner reservations, in town, on Valentine’s Day, because we knew we would be spending the evening next to the ones we loved in the calving barn. Ahhh, how romantic, right?
With age comes wisdom. Marty and I have backed our calving off until later in the spring. But not our oldest daughter! She AI’d her Herefords for this week. So, we are right back to calving on Valentine’s Day. So, as the poem I wrote says, “probably always will.”
When you are doing what you love, with the ones you love, I guess that makes for the most perfect Valentine’s Day. No chocolate or flowers can compare to watching new life be born and being thankful for this way of life with your family. I will probably thaw out some steaks. I have plenty of home grown green beans canned in the pantry. I will either put together a pie or whip up some Jones Ranch Buckaroo Brownies and call it a day!
But, if any of my girls bring home dark chocolate from their classroom Valentine’s Day parties, it’s MINE! Afterall, momma is home calving your Herefords! And as the song says, “That’s the way love goes….”
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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
