Indy 500 Milk Person gives tour of farm

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indy 500 Milk Person, Kerry Estes, is prepared to hand off the iconic glass of milk to the winning driver on race day.

Back home on his dairy, he gave a virtual tour to students across Indiana.

Estes is a first-generation dairy farmer from southeast of Indianapolis. He and his wife, Christiana, began farming in 2005 after deciding they wanted to work more closely with their four children.

“We are blessed to be able to be dairy farmers,” he said. “We get to milk cows for a living. We sell that milk to consumers who drink milk and eat dairy products like cheese, yogurt, sour cream. We do it in a way that’s sustainable to our environment.”

Their cows graze in the surrounding pastures during part of the year and have waterbeds to lounge in.

Each family member has a different specialty on the farm, making it a true family business.

Estes also coaches football in the local school system, bringing his sense of teamwork from the farm to the field.

Sustainability is important to the family.

“We try to take really good care of our soil, water and air, to be good stewards of what God has created for us,” Estes said.