Waddell Family is Apple of Town’s Eye

Farm Name: Apple Shamrock Dairy Farms

Family: Rob and Chris Waddell; sons Josh and Joe; daughter Katie

Location: Townville, Pa.

Apple Shamrock Dairy Farm is located on a green, lush side road overlooking the small, rural community of Townville, Pa. Such close proximity to the town makes the work that Rob Waddell and his wife, Chris, do to educate children and their parents about modern dairy farming even more important. The Waddells are building community relations and showing the townsfolk just how much they care about the land, their cows and the environment.

Planting the Seeds

A family dairy farm that focuses on cow care and consumer education, Apple Shamrock was started in 1976 by Rob and his parents, Bob and Lorna. The Waddells’ oldest son, Josh, joined the family business in 2004 and now works full time caring for their herd of 470 dairy cows. The couple has two other children: Joe, 23, who works for Case New Holland, and Katie, 21, who is an education major at Edinboro University.

With Josh taking care of the cows, Rob now devotes his time to being the farm’s agronomist. Each year, the family crops 1,600 acres of land with a variety of homegrown feed for the cows. Using the conservation practice of no-till and minimal tilling, the Waddells grow high-quality corn, soybeans, alfalfa, oats and hay to feed to their cows.

Chris, who married Rob in 1983, has an accounting degree from Clarion University, making her the perfect bookkeeper for the farm’s business finances. Apple Shamrock is a valuable part of the local economy, providing jobs to 15 local residents and giving farm tours to help educate the community about dairy farming.

An Apple of an Education

“I love giving tours of our farm,” Rob says. “It gives me the chance to showcase the dairy industry, and it helps me build relationships with my neighbors. That’s a win-win situation.”

When the Waddell children were in elementary school, Rob and Chris invited their classes to visit the farm. The tradition continued even as the children moved into high school, and in 2007, after the Waddells built a new calf barn and milking parlor, the number of tours on the farm increased. There was no need to advertise; instead, the farm tours are simply known by word-of-mouth.

“We see about 500 kids and adults per year,” Rob says. “I’m always amazed with how peoples’ faces light up after a tour. Many have no idea how well cared for the cows are in order to provide them (farm visitors) with high-quality dairy foods. That’s a powerful connection we’ve made and an education they won’t forget.” 

Besides school tours, the farm hosts a Fall Festival each year, an open house for the town and a summer party for immediate neighbors and friends.

Peel Back the Layers of Care

The Waddells take pride in the care they provide their cows, and that care is always on display during their tours.

The farm’s calves are housed in a climate controlled and ventilated barn that features individual pens with fresh straw for bedding. Every calf is vaccinated to prevent disease and is fed a specially formulated milk to help them grow strong.

Once the calves enter the milking herd, they are pampered daily. The cows live in a brand new barn with free access to feed, water and clean, dry beds. They are milked three times daily, which takes only about five minutes each time. The cows also receive regular visits from the veterinarian, the cow nutritionist and a hoof trimmer.

All of this care is to ensure that the milk from the Waddells’ cows provides not only for their family, but the local community with high-quality dairy foods.

Polishing It Up

In addition to farm tours, both Rob and Chris are involved in local and state organizations. Rob is president of the Crawford County Farm Bureau and a member of the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program board. Chris is a 4-H leader, a member of the Crawford county dairy princess committee and serves on the Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence board.