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!
During the week, our kids are pretty pumped to get home, even when they know that the next fews hours will probably be spent working. But, like their parents, they seem to get some sort of weird satisfaction by doing work! Weird, right!
This year our oldest daughter made a monumental decision for an athletic, competitive young lady in a small school. She made the decision to walk away from school sports, to literally break away from all that mainstream had told her she should be doing with her time afterschool. As parents, we were shocked. But when she explained her reasons, I was honestly so proud. It was simple. She was tired of living in a gym after school. She was yearning to get back to her church youth group on Wednesday nights and spending daylight afternoon hours outside.
It is pretty inspirational to watch as our kids are finding their true center at home and on the ranch. On nice days they are saddling up horses, roping the dummy, playing fetch with the dogs, finding a kitty to snuggle, gathering eggs or haltering show cattle. During those winters when we actually get snow, they are hustling to pull on their layers and grab a sled to head outside and hit some hills.
And sometimes they just want to ride around with their dad at the end of the day and shut off hydrants, look at cattle, and just learn to be still. And that is okay too. Let your kids learn to embrace being still. Outside forces will try to pull them in directions all of their life. Being busy doesn’t always mean you are productive.
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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
