Member stories

 

Estes Farm & Dairy

Fountaintown, Ind.

Kerry Estes did not grow up on a dairy. His wife, Christiana, never even owned a pet. That didn’t stop either one of them from pursuing a dream to raise their four young children on a farm. So five years ago, the couple bought their farm, located in Fountaintown, Ind., on contract from its previous owner.

 

Recognizing that starting the dairy was the easy part, but sustaining it would be difficult, the couple spent a great deal of time doing research on what type of dairy would work best for them. Kerry, fascinated with the idea of how efficiency relates to production, saw pasture-based dairying, with low start-up costs and less intensive labor requirements, as a way for him and his family to realize their dream of owning a dairy farm.

 

While there were hiccups in the beginning, Kerry and Christiana now operate a 150-cow Gold Standard Dairy, milking twice a day. Both commend their DFA field representative, Steve Gilland, for helping guide them through the first few months.

 

Kerry, always looking for ways to run the operation more efficiently, has created some innovative ways for the family to cut down on labor and time. One such innovation is their calf barn.

Calving 165 cows in seven weeks is no small task, especially when the current operation does not have enough employees necessary to take on the responsibility of feeding. Knowing this, Kerry developed a calf barn that incorporated headlocks for milkfed calves and manufactured a feeder that allows calves to self feed. The calf barn also provides plenty of room for the calves to roam around and play. Working together, the family can now feed 80 calves in approximately 10 minutes.

 

From start-up to a model of efficiency, Kerry and Christiana have turned what was a run-down farm into an intensive pasture-based dairy where they can raise their young family. While Kerry says the first five years have been about positioning the operation for success in the future, he and Christiana, through efficiency and innovation, are looking forward to sustaining their operation for generations to come.