Eastern Nebraska farm family to accept award

The next generation to till an Eastern Nebraska family farm will return to the farm after completing a John Deere course.
The next generation to till an Eastern Nebraska family farm will return to the farm after completing a John Deere course.
The next generation of an Eastern Nebraska farm family recognized for family farming excellence used to dream of driving a John Deere combine.

Riley Kracl longingly watched his father and grandfather drive one on Kracl Farms, according to the Fremont Tribune. He even slept on the machine while his grandfather drove it on the farm near Fremont, a suburb northwest of Omaha, according to the Fremont Tribune. He finally had his chance at age 14.

Kracl Farms was the 2010 winner of the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce's Farm Family Excellence Award. They'll collect their award on Wednesday during a luncheon.

Now age 20, Riley is planning to take his ambitious pursuits a step further when he leaves in July to begin academic pursuits at the John Deere diesel technology program at Southeast Community college in Milford, which is west of Lincoln.

He plans on returning to run the farm, which his mother recognizes as a foregone conclusion.

"Out of all our children Riley was the one that just truly loves to farm. It's in his blood," Roxie Kracl said.