The Indy 500 Milk Preferences are in! Each year the drivers are asked what milk they would like to drink if they were to be the winner of the Indianapolis 500. The options are skim, 2%, whole or no preference. The two Milkmen make sure they get the winning driver’s milk choice in hand when they pull into Victory Circle on race day. As you can see 2% milk is the most popular choice with 16 drivers followed by whole, no preference, then skim.   If you were the winning driver of the Indy 500, what would YOUR choice be?

FAT FREE

Charlie Kimball – FAT FREE

James Hinchcliffe – FAT FREE

Ana Beatriz – FAT FREE

Pippa Mann – FAT FREE

NO PREFERENCE (just give me the milk~)

Buddy Lazier – NO PREF

Townsend Bell – NO PREF

Sebastien Bourdais – NO PREF

Conor Daly – NO PREF

Sebastian Saavedra – NO PREF

2 PERCENT

AJ Allmendinger – 2 PERCENT

Marco Andretti – 2 PERCENT

Takuma Sato – 2 PERCENT

Helio Castroneves – 2 PERCENT

Graham Rahal – 2 PERCENT

Simona de Silvestro – 2 PERCENT

Ryan Hunter-Reay – 2 PERCENT

James Jakes – 2 PERCENT

Justin Wilson – 2 PERCENT

Tony Kanaan – 2 PERCENT

Carlos Munoz – 2 PERCENT

Ryan Briscoe – 2 PERCENT

Josef Newgarden – 2 PERCENT

Ed Carpenter – 2 PERCENT

JR Hildebrand – 2 PERCENT

Alex Tagliani – 2 PERCENT

WHOLE

Scott Dixon – WHOLE

Dario Franchitti – WHOLE

Oriol Servia - WHOLE

Tristan Vautier - WHOLE

EJ Viso - WHOLE

Will Power – WHOLE

Katherine Legge – WHOLE

Simon Pagenaud - WHOLE

Here at Winners Drink Milk we love our local Indiana bloggers and have partnered with them in a couple new programs you will be seeing in the coming months.

The first is our Indiana  Dairy Ambassador Program where local bloggers will share a dairy related story each month with their readers– be it a recipe, interview with a farmer or a post full of fun farm facts. We will then recap these posts here each month in a quick recap for our readers.

This month our ambassadors were busy with Race-related activity, whipping up a special treat, interviewing milkmen and finding out just how milk came to be associated with the Indianapolis 500.

Amy of A Latte with Ott, A. celebrated milk by whipping up a Lemon Meringue Pie Custard in her kitchen.

Jackie of WritRams interviewed the Indy 500 Milkmen and learned about the tradition that started back in 1933.

Finally, Indiana’s very own royalty, Cherie of The Queen of Free shared with her royal subjects the ins and outs of just why Winners Drink Milk!

Stay tuned for next month’s features on June Dairy Month and keep reading up on your favorite Indiana blogs– you never know, they may be our next Indiana Dairy Ambassador!

May is a busy month for the office full of race fans here at the American Dairy Association of Indiana. All the hustle and bustle, all the prerace activities lead up to one moment: the milkman handing the winning driver of the Indianapolis 500 a bottle of cold, satisfying milk.

The responsibilities of the milkman to represent all dairy farmers across the country are so great that each milkman spends a year “in training” to prepare for the Victory Lane handoff. This year’s rookie milkman is Ken Hoeing of Rushville, Indiana.

I had the chance to catch up with Ken out at his family dairy in beautiful rural Rush County. Here’s what he had to say:

My grandfather started this farm in 1947, now my four brothers and I run it. I like the cows, so I mostly take care of them. We milk about 400 cows here at the main farm and have some young stock and dry cows on some other farmland we own. We also grow our own feed for the cows and crop about 3,000 acres to do that. Some of my brothers are more involved in the grain side of the farm.

This year, I’ll be following Duane Hill’s lead and learning how to be an Indy 500 milkman. The American Dairy Association has already been out on my farm to do some filming for the Fastest Rookie Luncheon. Duane and I will get to teach the rookie drivers about the hard work dairy farmers put in to make that Victory Circle milk. My family has been helping me practice my parade wave for the 500 Festival Parade on May 25, and they already helped me practice for the milkman media day.

The media day was in the middle of May and Duane and I went go to some radio stations to talk about the Drink of Milk and dairy farming. My family guessed that I’d be like that part in Talladega Nights when Ricky Bobby doesn’t know what to do with his hands during the TV interview and just keeps waving them around. I didn’t actually do that though, and things turned out fine.

I am a big NASCAR fan, so I am looking forward to seeing a different kind of racing at the 500. I’ve been to qualifying before but never the race. I’m also going to ride in a two-seater Indy car that’s supposed to do at least two laps and go race speed. Hopefully I get a good driver for that.

I’ll present the milk to the winning team owner and chief mechanic at the 500 this year. I’ve been told they normally share those two bottles of milk around the whole race team. It’ll be good to give milk to those behind-the-scenes people. As a dairy farmer, I know about working behind the scenes and putting in long hours.

The week of May 20 is National Backyard Games Week! The purpose of this little-known holiday is to spend time with family/kids/friends and have fun! If you don’t have a backyard of your own, just visit the park. In this blog,  I will outline a few ideas to get you ready for National Backyard Games Week.

Too often we find ourselves cooped in our houses or offices all day; we are ALWAYS working. You have to get out every once and a while, and National Backyard Games Week is the perfect reason to plan some great outdoor activities.

It seems children are becoming weaker, less muscular, and unable to do physical tasks that previous generations found simple. Some attribute this to less active and more sedentary lifestyles. Barriers faced by single parents and families with two working parents might contribute to this trend, with families having less daytime to spend outside together. There is also a new kind of culture of families who spend their time playing video games instead of playing games outside.

Climbing trees and ropes used to be standard practice for children, but school authorities and ‘health and safety ’gurus seem to frown on these more strenuous activities. One surprising fact came from: Dr. Justin Sherwin, of Cambridge University, who led the analysis of eight studies involving over 10,000 children, found that for every hour spent outside, the chances of needing glasses drops by 2 percent. Overall, children who are near-sighted spend on average 3.7 fewer hours a week outdoors than those who had normal vision. It is possible that greater exposure to natural UV light outdoors makes a difference, along with more times spent looking at the horizon and distant objects rather than TV screen, computer monitors, and phones.

National Backyard Games week  was created  to play with their families out of doors. Not only is it important to play together as a family so you can bond with each other and enjoy each other’s company, but outdoor play is important for children’s large and small motor skills and their cardiovascular endurance. Also, children need opportunities to explore, experiment, manipulate, marvel, discover, practice, push their limits, yell, sing, and create.

Take the family outside this week! Set up an obstacle course in your back yard using items from your garage such as tires, ladder, balls, hoola hoops, pails, wheel barrow.  Use your imagination! Set up a badminton net and play this old favorite, play basketball, or just throw balls around.  If you are near a Frisbee golf course, try something new.  If you have limited space, go for a hike or find a really neat playground to check out.  Hide and seek is a fun game for lots of people. If you have never tried bocce or croquet, check with your neighbors and see if you could borrow their games for a day. And after an active game, remember to drink water and eat a healthy snack such as go-gurt, cheese and crackers or a glass of chocolate milk.

Many countries celebrate the great work that their armed forces do to protect their people by choosing a day to honor their military forces.  In our country it’s always celebrated on the 3rd Saturday of May, at the end of ARMED FORCES WEEK, which begins on the 2nd Saturday in May and ends on the 3rd Sunday in that month.

It was created in August of 1949 to honor Americans serving in all FIVE military branches (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard).   This followed the consolidation of all of our military services under the United States Department of Defense.   This specific day was originally planned to replace separate recognitions of each military branch but each still have their own special day of recognition and who can blame them?!! They are proud of what they do to protect/defend our citizens, here in our country and elsewhere.

May 20, 1950, was the first observance of ARMED FORCES DAY in our country.  It included open houses, parades, receptions and air shows.  President Kennedy designated it as an official national holiday in 1962.  Bremerton, WA. owns the distinction of having the countries’ longest running city-sponsored ARMED FORCES DAY PARADE and this year they will hold their 65th annual parade.  Talk about pride in our countries’ military—Bremerton, WA. pulls out all stops!!!

What can WE do to honor our brave men & women who defend or have defended our rights and freedom?  If you know of a military person, whether on active duty or retired, please make sure to thank them for their service to & for our country.  And if your community has an ARMED FORCES DAY recognition ceremony, parade or whatever, consider showing your thanks by your attendance.

This is Duane Hill’s second year to be a milkman at the Indianapolis 500—but this year, as the seasoned veteran, he will be the Indiana dairy farmer who actually hands the milk to the winning driver in Victory Circle.

Duane watched last year’s milkman Dave Forgey pass the “Sports World’s Coolest Prize” to winning driver Dario Franchitti, but this year it’s his turn.

Here is what Duane had to say about being the milkman:

Never in my life when I was a little boy milking cows would I have thought about the privilege of handing milk to the winning driver at the Indianapolis 500. Hard work and drive have always paid off in my life in some surprising ways.

I was blessed to be born and raised on a dairy farm with leadership from great parents. They taught me responsibility and showed me the importance of hard work and honesty. I can remember my Dad waking us early in the morning to do the milking and the chores before we went to school. If things went well, we had time to clean up before school. If not, we went to school wearing the fragrance of the barn!

Through the leadership and encouragement of my agriculture teacher, I became very involved in the dairy industry, FFA and 4-H. After graduating, I married my wife, Joyce Ann, and together we pursued our dream of being dairy farmers. From that day forward, we channeled our lives to become successful in our venture. We raised our family on this dairy farm and it has been a challenging yet pleasant experience. Growing up on a dairy farm taught our children good work ethic and responsibility.

I am looking forward to being at the track early in the morning on race day again this year to feel the atmosphere of the race track. It is going to be a pleasure to be there again with the drivers who have dedicated their lives to racing and entertaining fans around the world. I want to show the world that winners drink milk because it is so important for your health.

My rookie year was a great preparation for me to be the milkman this year. I am looking forward to presenting the milk to the winning driver of this year’s race because they have worked hard to earn that spot in Victory Circle and the milk will help them to refuel after that grueling race.

If you are on a healthy lifestyle bandwagon, that’s great.  BUT if you think you can be more healthy and you haven’t had the will power to do something about it, May 12-18, IS THE TIME TO DO IT!  It’s National Women’s Health Week so what better time to look at your lifestyle and make little changes that can help you be MORE HEALTHY?!

Have you got a sweet tooth that needs to be pulled or at least reined in?  Chocolate and ice cream are my downfalls so I’ve learned to limit those goodies to OCCASIONAL CONSUMPTION.

I eat few fried foods.  My favorite protein source, POULTRY, is best baked, grilled or broiled.  I do enjoy fried chicken a couple of times a year and then I let the experts prepare it.  Grilled lean beef, pork or turkey burgers are savored occasionally and French fries now and then are OK but I’ll choose nutrient-packed baked Sweet Potato fries, when possible.

I love most fruits & veggies and do try to consume those that are brightly-colored for they usually have the most nutrients.  I eat apples, peel and all and am still trying to get used to eating the fuzzy skin on kiwi’s.  How are you and Brussel Sprouts?  I HAVE to remember to buy them, cut them in small pieces and add to my greens (love spinach and kale).  I had guests over recently and instead of adding veggies to mixed greens, I added mandarin oranges and strawberries.  Everyone raved about the salad.

I prepare Old Fashioned Oats every weekday morning with milk, yogurt and fruit before heading to the gym–3 food groups consumed before 6:30 AM.  I bring chocolate milk in a small cooler bag and as soon as I finish my workout, I refresh/refuel with  it.  I buy whole grain crackers to enjoy with my lunch salads &/or soup OR in the evening along with low-fat cheese slices, sticks or chunks before dinner.  Brown rice is a staple.

I’m working at eating more fish (grilled or baked) and watch for sales.  Ever tried Pollack or Mussels?

Healthy eating and daily physical activity are a must for me to stay as healthy as I can be.  I head to the gym before work because I KNOW I won’t do it after work–I know me!

So with National Women’s Health Week (May 12-18),  what can YOU do to help YOU be more healthy? Ladies, try small changes, master them and keep trying to be as healthy as you can be.  You’ll feel so much better and will have so much more energy to enable you to enjoy life to it’s fullest!

Wings

Mother,
You’ve given me two things
One is roots
The other’s wings

– Anonymous

This poem is simple but profound.  May 12, 2013 is Mother’s Day. We all have one, even dairy calves have one! Mothers are special and need to be treated to a special day.  I love history so here is a little bit about how Mother’s Day got started.

During the 1600′s, the early Christians in England celebrated a day to honor Mary, the mother of Christ. By a religious order the holiday was later expanded in its scope to include all mothers, and named as the Mothering Sunday. Celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter), “Mothering Sunday” honored the mothers of England.

The first North American Mother’s Day was conceptualized with Julie Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation in 1870. Mother’s Day was loosely inspired by the British day and was first suggested after the American Civil War by social activist Julia Ward Howe.  The day was, however, mainly intended as a call to unite women against war.

It was Anna Jarvis, who finally succeeded in introducing Mother’s Day in the sense as we celebrate it today. The Mother’s Day International Association came into being on December 12, 1912, to promote and encourage meaningful observances of the event. Anna’s dream came true when on May 9, 1914, the Presidential proclamation declared the 2nd Sunday of May to be observed as Mother’s Day to honor the mothers.

Starting from 1912, Mother’s day began to be officially declared a holiday by some states. Anna’s dream came true when in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother’s Day, as a day for American citizens to show the flag in honor of those mothers whose sons had died in war.

Today, Mother’s Day is a day honoring mothers, celebrated on various days in many places around the world. It is the day when you honor your mother’s contribution in your life and show her how much she means to you.

Here is a simple but delicious and nutritious breakfast-in-bed recipe for Mom.  Choose a pretty glass or bowl and put some vanilla yogurt in bottom, add washed blueberries, more vanilla yogurt, strawberries or raspberries( you may use any of your Mom’s favorite fruit) next and top with yogurt and granola.  Put it on a pretty plate, add a spoon and napkin and carefully carry to your Mom.

Also a homemade card is always appreciated since you took the time to make it.

The Mini Marathon in Indianapolis, the nation’s largest half marathon, was quite the success. There were 35,000 runners and that is not even counting the 5K participants. So, how long is a Mini or Half Marathon? 13.1 miles!  Thirteen miles takes a lot of hard work and training to complete. There are people of all walks of life that complete this Half Marathon including walkers, runners, people who have health goals and others who are just trying to keep in shape. I had planned on running the Mini and I actually trained for it. Unfortunately, my old knee injury thought it would say hello again and I decided I should just run the 5K.

The course is lined with tons of entertainment including live bands, belly dancers, music and 2.5 miles of the race is ON the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track! We handed out chocolate milk after the race for the runners. (If you haven’t heard, chocolate milk is the best recovery beverage.)

We handed out 10,000 pints of low-fat chocolate milk.

The truck was FILLED with milk. This picture was taken when we were more than half way done.

 Here is the winner of the Min Marathon (on the right) who finished in one hour, three minutes and 58 seconds. The woman was the first women finisher of the race with a time of one hour, 12 minutes and 26 seconds. I finished my 5K (3.1 miles) in about 30 minutes. They are posing with our gigantic milk bottle and would literally would run circles around me!

Santa EVEN completed the Mini!

The lady on the left was the person to get the LAST milk…and the poor lady on the right was right behind her, who was sad to miss out on the ice-cold chocolate milk.

This picture is of me and one of the many finishers of the Mini Marathon. (I am on the left)

Congratulations to all the participants and a big thanks to all the volunteers – See you next year!

What is the most trusted profession in America?  Now I probably would have answered dairy farming (not one of the choices on the poll), but according to last year’s annual Gallup poll, nursing was voted – again – the most trusted profession in America for the 13th time in 14 years.  That’s quite a track record these days.  Nursing is the largest segment of the health care profession, and it continues to grow.  As a matter of fact, more job growth is projected in nursing than in any other occupation between now and 2018.  That’s an encouraging statistic for anyone thinking about entering that field.

May 6 marks the beginning of National Nurses Week.  In 1982, Congress designated this day to be “National Recognition Day for Nurses”. In 1990, this was expanded by the American Nurses Association Board of Directors to a week-long celebration (May 6-12) known as “National Nurses Week.”  This observation always begins on May 6 and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale. Beginning in 1998, May 8 was designated as National Student Nurses Day.  Since 2003, the Wednesday within the National Nurses Week is celebrated as National School Nurse Day.

I’ve known a few nurses. Neighbor Dorothy when I was growing up, neighbors Kim and Karen now, and school nurse and Fuel Up to Play 60 co-Program Advisor Leisa. And without a doubt, every single one of these ladies is trustworthy, to say the least.  But Aunt Jean will always be my favorite nurse.  Technically, my husband’s aunt, Jean began her nurse’s training at one of the hospitals in Danville, IL.  That goes back quite as way, as nursing schools are generally in colleges and universities now.  But Aunt Jean went on to Indiana University’s School of Nursing for her degree, and then she taught nursing at IUPUI.  After a number of years there, she went out to the University of San Francisco where she taught nursing for about 20 years.  

Not having spent much time in California, trips to visit Aunt Jean were always great learning experiences.  In my mind, California just meant big cities, smog, heavy traffic and the ocean.  Pretty naïve, I know.  But that made the trip driving north of San Francisco even more amazing. The dairy farms we drove past were lush, green and beautiful.  I was so glad to be so wrong about California!

So on May 6^th, let’s raise our glasses (of milk, of course!) and toast all of our dedicated and hardworking nurses out there, whether you are in hospitals, offices, schools or clinics.  You put in long hours taking care of the rest of us.  And we thank you!