Field Trip: Estes spent six decades as full-time farmer

Oct. 28—Mack Estes spent six decades farming full-time in eastern Daviess County.

Estes, 78, retired this year, making this the first time since 1963 that he didn't have to worry about if the weather would cooperate or not.

But retirement hasn't kept him totally out of the fields for this year's planting and harvest.

"It's hard to step back," Estes said. "Some things you enjoy not having to do and some things you really miss. When you've been doing it all your life, you're gonna miss what you did a whole lot."

The time he has spent in the fields has been helping his longtime friend Gary Cecil and his son, Ryan, of Cecil Farms.

Estes said he had a couple farmers who helped him when they retired, so he's now returning the favor to someone else.

"They took over a lot of my operation," Estes said.

"... I helped them during planting and now I'm driving a combine for them during harvest," he said.

Estes is a third generation grower who began farming after graduating high school.