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A ceremonial Bottle of Milk has been part of the Indianapolis 500’s Victory Lane for decades — a celebration that got its start when legendary racer Louis Meyer requested a cold glass of buttermilk following his victory in 1933. Yet, this year, a nonprofit that advocates for plant-based diets has erected billboards around Indianapolis with the phrase, “Winners DON’T Drink Milk.”
The Indy 500 took place this past Sunday, which explains the timing of the billboard advertisements near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The organization behind the ads is called the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a nonprofit that claims dairy poses increased risks of breast, prostate, and ovarian cancer, as well as heart disease. The organization has said in the past that only about 5 percent of its members are doctors, and the group has a long history of inflating health claims of foods. At one point, it equated the effects of meat consumption to be equal to tobacco use.
According to the Indianapolis Star newspaper, in addition to the billboard campaign, a member of the physicians committee sent a letter urging the speedway to give the winner a plant-based milk alternative or water instead. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has no plans to change the current milk tradition, Communications Director Amanda Stanley said in response to the letter.
Around Indiana, media outlets have been publishing articles about the billboards.
This kind of sensational campaign isn’t new, and even the use of billboards in high-traffic areas is becoming commonplace among anti-dairy factions. In April, for example, an activist organization known as Switch4Good erected billboards in Hollywood that stated, “9 out of 10 serial killers grew up drinking milk,” and including images of Jeffrey Dahmer and others of history’s monsters.
Dr. Victoria Othersen, a family physician who espouses a plant-based diet, was reportedly the one who wrote the letter to the speedway. She told local media that she hopes that by challenging “big dairy,” it will inspire people to consider a plant-based diet.
The milk presented in Victory Circle is produced by Indiana dairy farmers through the American Dairy Association Indiana. It’s likely the attack on “big dairy” primarily impacts the state’s family dairy farmers. The Indy 500’s 2023 Milk Man is Kerry Estes of Estes Dairy Farm in Fountaintown, who delivered the milk to the winner and crew.
EDITOR’S TAKE:
This is just the latest attempt to attack animal agriculture or agriculture in general. We certainly support everyone’s right to express their opinion, however, we also believe that any argument that purports an opinion about agriculture or food should be based on solid science, not sensationalized hyperbola. The dairy industry in particular has spent millions of dollars over the years to research the impact of their products on human health. Bottom line – there are far more benefits than negatives. This is especially true for infants, teens and elderly in our population.
The tradition of a glass of milk for the winner of the Indy 500 continued this year with Josef Newgarden downing a bottle following the race! Besides, the dairy industry is one of the largest commodities in agriculture. Make sure you reach out to dairy farmers in your area and post your truck inventory on AgTruckTrader.com in order to win the race for more truck sales.
