Ranch Raised

The first order of the day is announcing our winner of our 4-H memory contest giveaway. There were some great entries that truly made me smile. Almost all of them talked about special people and unforgettable experiences that 4-H brought in to their lives. But, I have to say that Jackie Maude, from Hermosa, SD takes the cake and is our winner!

Welcome to the kickoff of a 3-day weekend full of sugar, meltdowns, late nights and memories made! Who doesn’t love seeing all of the kids dressed up?

I just want to take a minute to show appreciation for all the volunteers that are making events and celebrations happen for families in communities across our listening area. As production ag families, we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of fall harvest, weaning calves, and all the things happening on the farm and ranch this time of year.

4-H is under recognized as the incredible community service organization that it is. Community service projects are my favorite thing to watch my girls be involved in.

For many, 4-H becomes a way of life, for the rest of their life. As I reminisce about growing up in this organization, I can’t help but think of how it molded me into the human I am today. Living the 4-H pledge outload, every day, is one of my greatest accomplishments!

I cannot let October slip by without recognizing one of my favorite things that is a part of my past, present, and future. While most people wouldn’t immediately recognize October as such an important month in the 4-H organization, I will tell you that it actually is! October serves as the home of National 4-H week.

It is sort of a bitter sweet time of year. I am super thankful for our mild fall temps that allowed us to enjoy an extended growing season. It made for a bountiful harvest and a full pantry that will be enjoyed all winter long. I am ready to let my garden rest and recharge, just like those ole cows that we just weaned those calves off of. I am ready to dream of next spring.

Fall is such a busy time on the farm and ranch. There is an energy across rural America that just has to be experienced to be known. The chant of auctioneers and the gavel dropping at salebarns is the anthem that plays as the fall cattle run is in full swing.

My grandma always had a garden, more modest in size than her own mothers and a beautiful strawberry patch, if you asked me back then I could have sworn that we put up more sweet corn than anyone in the county and she had probably thee best garlic dill pickle recipe!

I want to give you a little glimpse into the rear view mirror of Karina Jones so you can see why I am so passionate about this way of life. I grew up with a great grandma that was tough as nails even though she couldn’t have weighed 100 pounds. Visiting her humble ranch home was truly a walk back in time.