Morning coffee routine leads Nebraska farmer to win new Auger

HERMAN, Neb. — Harvest season for a Northeast Nebraska farmer is about to get a little easier thanks to an extra helping hand.

Jeff Wolfe is bringing home a new Peck TA1041 Auger from Peck Manufacturing and Egbers Flighting. He won it through News Channel Nebraska’s “Heads Up During Harvest” safety campaign, which partners with the Nebraska Public Power District.

“I saw it on Facebook and entered every day through NPPD,” said Wolfe. “Every morning with my coffee, I entered. Then in December, I got the phone call that I had won the grand prize, the auger.”

The goal of the safety campaign is to remind farmers to look up and look out for power lines when hauling tall equipment.

Wolfe says he completed the Farm Safety Quiz each morning, helping reinforce his knowledge of farm safety practices.

He says an ordinary day of babysitting his grandchildren quickly turned into Christmas morning when he learned he had won.

“I told my wife right away, and she couldn’t believe it,” said Wolfe. “She said, ‘You’re kidding me,’ and I said, ‘No, I’m not. I just got the call.”

Wolfe knows the importance of farm safety. Years ago, he was caught in the power takeoff.

“All I’d like to say is I want to thank the sponsors who put this on. I appreciate it very much, and I am tickled to win this auger,”

Once the auger was attached to Wolfe’s pickup, he safely cleared the power lines and headed home.

In Herman, Tyler Murphy, News Channel Nebraska.