Our Family
W.H. Deardorff started the W.H. Deardorff Company in Los Angeles, CA in 1937 with the vision of consolidating crops from various growers around the Los Angeles basin into one unified sales and marketing company. A few years later his son, William W. Deardorff, joined him in running the business. When J.B. Jackson joined the company in 1945, the company name changed to Deardorff-Jackson Company. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, urbanization forced the company to move its operations to Orange and Ventura Counties. Bill and Tom Deardorff joined the company during these times as the third generation of Deardorff’s. This generation was responsible for expanding the business and integrating the operations from growing through sales.
Scott Deardorff, Bill Deardorff’s son, joined the company in 1985, and Tom Deardorff II, Tom Deardorff’s son, joined in 1999 as the fourth generation family farmers. As the company grew, they began growing their certified organic crops in 2005, and the company name was changed to Deardorff Family Farms in 2006.
Today, Tom Deardorff II and Scott Deardorff operate Deardorff Family Farms in their newly opened 110,000 square foot LEED Certified facility in Oxnard, CA. The company is a fully integrated growing, cooling, processing, and shipping operation of various row crop vegetables.
four generations
W.H. Deardorff
W.W. Deardorff
Tom Deardorff Sr.
Bill Deardorff
Tom Deardorff II
Scott Deardorff
In 1937, our organization was founded upon a basic set of principles. These core values have been solidified over four generations and truly define what is most important to us.
Treat People Fairly and Honestly
Every team member is committed to treating employees, customers, growers, vendors, landlords and all people with fairness and honesty.
Sell the Highest Quality Products
Being passionate about quality motivates all of our activities. We hold the consumer’s trust and must deliver the highest quality and safety in every product we sell.
Create Winning Relationships
We create long-term relationships with stakeholders to ensure all parties achieve their intended goals and maximize opportunities.
Create Value
Be strong stewards of our investments and create sustainable long-term returns. Growth, opportunity, job security and longevity come from stable profitability and sound investment strategies.
Promote Healthy People and Communities
The most critical component to our success is our employees. We are dedicated to providing a healthy, safe and rewarding work environment as well as supporting their local communities so they can reach their highest potential.
Protecting Our Resources
We will be proper caretakers of the environment to help ensure the availability of clean air, land and water resources for future generations.
Our principles
food safety
Deardorff Family Farms is uniquely positioned to manage food safety. We are a fully integrated operation that directly controls food safety from seed to finished product. Our systems are seamless from farming, to packing, to cold storage and marketing – it is all under our control.
The Global Food Safety Initiative (“GFSI”) is a collaboration of independent experts representing all levels of the food chain. The GFSI group has developed the most stringent and widely respected food safety guidance programs in the world. Our food safety programs follow the GFSI standards and have been audited by PrimusLabs to be compliant in both in form and implementation.
The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (“LGMA”) is a collaborative model creating high standards for food safety. The LGMA combines science-based food safety practices and mandatory government inspections to create the safest products possible. We are a member of the LGMA and have adopted these standards.
At Deardorff Family Farms, our philosophy is that FOOD SAFETY COMES FIRST. After all, our name is on the box and our families eat the same produce we put into the marketplace. We use both in-house and third party experts to create and implement the highest standards of food safety. In addition, we constantly monitor our programs, measure performance and improve procedures.
questions about our food safety program?
Fiorella Cerpa Calderon
Food Safety Manager
Phone: 805.487.7801 x 110
Feel free to contact our Food Safety Manager, Fiorella Cerpa Calderon, with any questions about our Food Safety Program.