Vanderwende Farm Creamery is a three generation farm business. William and Ellen Vanderwende purchased the farm
in 1954, starting with six cows and $35. It has since grown to 4,000 acres and 225 registered Holstein milk cows. The Vanderwendes take great pride in producing quality milk and being good stewards to the land. Their environmental practices includecover crops and running a nutrient management programs.
In 2012, they ventured into another business: ice cream. Today, in addition to the farm store, the Vanderwendes have a manufacturing and retail facility in Greenwood, a retail outlet
in Dewey Beach, a wholesale business and two food trucks.
Besides a niece in Florida working as a veterinarian and another niece in Wilmington working as a speech pathologist,
the entire family lives within a fifteen-mile radius of the dairy farm “I always take into consideration what my roles my family wants and if one area of the business excites them more then another,” said Donna Vanderwende. “I really encourage my family to find the area of business they want to practice the most, because they ultimately have to want to come to work every day.”
Venderwende also involves itself in a number of community efforts, such as the Town of Bridgeville's "Night Out" by donating $400 in product; supporting several local schools with ice cream donations; sponsored a basketball team and a soccer team; donated product to the local hospital golf tournament fund raiser; donated product to the annual Farm Bureau Milk Run 5K; supported the local 4-H clubs by "purchasing" a farm animal at the Delaware State Fair Auction, which is quickly donated back to the 4-H'er that raised the animal.
Headquarters:
Greenwood
Founded:
1954
Industry:
Dairy Farming/Ice Cream
Full-time employees:
5
Family members:
5
Website:
Vanderwendefarmcreamery.com
Fun fact:
The original store and surrounding farm was the setting for the children’s book “From Cow to
Cone Solving the Milk Mystery”
