Andrew Cadwallader of Waldac Farms

The Cadwallader Homestead, 1790's colonial farmhouse

The tall oak tree in the front yard frames the 1790-brick colonial farmhouse as I make my way up the drive. The tree is a direct descendant of the Salem Oak and is a perfect addition to a farm that has existed for centuries. As I get my barn boots on, a pair of Sandhill cranes walk slowly across the nearby field while the smell of alfalfa silage fills the damp air. It’s been ~20 years since I’ve been in my own family’s barn, but I feel at home here.

Today I am meeting Andrew Cadwallader, a 4th-generation dairy farmer, current college student, and passionate Salem County local. A generational dairy farm, the Waldac Farm, named after Andrew’s grandparents’ last names combined, Lawrence representing his great-grandmother and Cadwallader representing his great-grandfather. Reverse the first three letters of each last name, put them together, and you get Waldac. The farm is situated on 500 beautiful acres adjacent to Mannington Creek.

As we walk, we talk about family farming, current challenges, and discuss the dairy industry structure (and also stop to ‘boop’ a cow on the nose from time to time).

Andrew gave me (and my kids) a tour of his family farm - we met all the Holstein ladies and their babies & frisky barn cats, checked out the milk house, and walked through the barns. We stopped off in the farm office, where Andrew’s face lit up as we looked over a vintage framed aerial picture of his farm and distinguished prize cows.

Most farming is a labor of love, led by salt of the earth people who value their land, families, and independence. Farmers are steadfast and rarely complain (the quip being “who’ll listen anyway?”). But dairy farmers, they’re on a different level - the complexities of dairy farming intertwine expensive infrastructure, the volatile market, lobbyists, politicians, and regulations, all wrapped in a job that needs attention multiple times a day and seven days a week.

In Andrew’s lifetime, the number of dairy farms in the US has decreased by over 50%; for Andrew’s father, it has decreased by over 95%.

That statistic isn’t simply a number on a chart or a trend line in an agricultural report. It represents families. It represents farms where generations once worked the same soil, cared for the same herds, and built communities around a shared way of life. Each closure is not just the loss of a business; it’s the loss of knowledge, heritage, and independence.

The view of Mannington Creek from the back fields of Cadwallader farm.

As Andrew and I walked across his fields to view Mannington Creek, he told me his ideas for the farm and his vision for the county. He loves his home, his farming life, and sees the opportunities ahead. The market and industry have changed (and not for the better); the time has come to decide to either evolve or close. The Cadwalladers want to evolve; this means new solutions are necessary to ensure the continued viability of the farming operation. For farmers, this can be incredibly scary.

Andrew sees what’s ahead for dairy, and for now, an innovative solution is the only answer. A young next-gen farmer, Andrew, and his family, have done the research and looked at solutions that mend farming with profit to offset costs. That answer: solar energy paired with grazing sheep and restored fields with native plants and grasses, one application in the growing field of Agrivoltaics. A mixed use of agriculture and energy production.

Andrew and his family have thought this process through, and it’s the best plan to keep the farm operating and evolve it to adapt to changing times.

Andrew showing my kids the inner-working of a milkhouse.

We talked about logistics and placement of the solar panels, yes. But the exciting part of the conversation came when hearing about the bigger picture of the farm and what this property can be for the region. I won’t spoil all of Andrew’s ideas here; those are his family’s fun announcements to make in due time. But I see an energy in him that not everyone has when faced with dire challenges: it’s hope.

For generations, farmers like the Cadwalladers have been pouring their hearts into this hard industry for the life and region that they love. This week, they move one step closer to a new chapter for their farm.