A Person You Should Know
One of the longest running traditions in sports is the drink of milk by the winning driver of the Indianapolis 500. A Hoosier dairy farmer always presents the bottle of ice-cold milk to the driver. This year, that privilege belongs to Kerry Estes of Shelby County.
As this week's "Person You Should Know," Estes talks about his dairy farm and the unique distinction of serving as the Indy 500 "Milk Man."
Family: My wife, Christiana, and I have four children: Damon (21), Laura (19), Kylee (16) and Waynee (15). Our oldest son, Damon, is married to Emma, and they have a little one on the way!
My Job: Dairy farm owner and operations manager are my official titles. My responsibilities range from visionary to hands-on and everything in between.
My mentor: My mentor is a man just a few years older than me in my community who actually shares a birthday with me, Jeremy Large. While not a farmer, Jeremy has taught me a tremendous amount about working with excellence in everything I do.
My mission in life: My mission in life is to bring glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I attempt to do that by how I treat my family, how I steward the resources God gave me, and how I return God's grace to others in my community.
How I give back: Football coaching and farm education are the two main ways I try to give back. I've been blessed to coach and be a mentor to several hundred young men on the football field as well as providing farm education to several thousand students across America.
Hobbies: The things I love to do all involve being with others. I love eating out with my wife, going fishing with my children, being an Indianapolis Colts fan along with my brothers, and, of course, an Indy 500 fan with my community.
Why the Indy 500 sponsorship is a big deal for Indiana dairy farmers: The IMS (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) has given dairy farmers a massive stage to continue on with the greatest tradition in sports—handing off an ice-cold bottle of milk to the winner. This is a tremendous opportunity for us to message how incredibly nutritious milk is, how much we care for our cows, and the importance we place on stewarding our land, water and air.
How long I expect my celebrity status to last: My family and I laugh that as soon as I hand the bottle of milk to the driver, I will fall into complete obscurity. I really view the bottle of milk tradition as the star of the show with me being allowed to carry it on.
To nominate someone for this column, call or email Jerry Goshert (jerry@farmers-exchange.net) editor. The telephone number for editor is 574/831-2138.