deardorfffamilyfarms.com

Employee Scholarship Awards

This summer we approved seven scholarship awards ranging from $500 to $1,500 for the children of our employees. Our hats go off to the deserving recipients and the parents who helped their kids achieve their dreams of higher education. At Deardorff Family Farms we value our employees’ contributions to our success and this is one way we contribute to their success. Over the years, Deardorff Family Farms has also contributed to the Ventura County Community Foundation’s “Ventura County Agricultural Scholarship Fund”. The Fund was started by local farmers to help the sons and daughters of agricultural workers in Ventura County continue their higher education.

Organic roma tomatoes have come into steady production from our certified organic ranch in nearby Moorpark. The quality, size and condition of these tomatoes are outstanding. It is interesting to note that the yields from this organic field are virtually the same as from the conventional ranches up to this point. This is due in part, we believe, to a “convergence” of techniques between the two methods of growing. Organic farming is becoming much more sophisticated in the pursuit of better yields and quality. Many of our organic techniques come from the sustainable farming we practice on all our ranches to grow abundant high quality produce.

Deardorff Family Farms has attained certification from SAFE. SAFE stands for Socially Accountable Farm Employers, which is a nonprofit organization that provides independent auditing and certification of fair, lawful farm labor practices in the agriculture industry. Deardorff Family Farms is the first vine-ripe tomato and fresh vegetable grower in California to attain SAFE certification.

Growers who earn the SAFE certification have demonstrated a commitment to ethical labor practices.

Growers must also comply with strict standards outlined in the organization’s Farm Labor Employer Code of Conduct. The code covers general employment practices and specific issues such as forced labor, child labor, discrimination, wages and benefits, employment records, workplace safety and housing. In short, the program ensures buyers that the growers they source from are doing the right thing.

For more information about the SAFE program check out their website:
http://www.safeagemployer.org

Our vine ripe tomato and roma season has begun, and while we are not yet hitting full stride, good volume is just around the corner. While it may seem like a bit of a slow start for us this season, perhaps that is the reason the quality is so exceptionally good. These tomatoes are the firmest that we have ever seen; shelf-life and sliceability are at their peak. Our grower, Richard Martinez, has worked his usual magic with the crop so we look forward to taking care of our tomato clients from now through November.

As we put the finishing touches on our upgraded and expanded tomato packing line, I found this old photo of our grandfather, William W. Deardorff, checking tomatoes coming down the packing line. This was taken in the late 40’s in Carpinteria, CA where we once packed tomatoes for local growers. Although computers and other electronic devices have found there way on the line to increase quality and productivity, people are still primarily responsible for quality control. Every one of our tomatoes is still hand picked and place packed by size and color just as it was done in the 40’s.

The picture above is of the new roof we installed on our tomato packing facility. After 15 years the old roof was showing its age and needed to be replaced so we researched for a new material and process that would not only keep the water out but also the summer heat. This resulted in installing the ‘Roof Mate Sustainable Roofing System’ by United Coatings. This new technology will save on energy usage and in a small way help to reduce the negative effects associated with “Heat Islands” created by dark colored construction materials. More information on this technology can be found here: http://www.unitedcoatings.com/products/Roofing/roofmate/roofmate_main.htm
We also installed skylights to not only save on energy but also provide more natural light for our employees.

As we are working on the last celery fields in Oxnard and before we begin our vine-ripe tomatoes, this is a good time to reflect back on an extraordinary celery and vegetable marketing season that began last November.

In the produce business we are used to Mother Nature playing jokes on us with variations in the weather, but this past season was an extreme example. The heavy frost in January along with an additional two weeks or so of low temps made for a volatile combination of short supplies, high prices and compromised quality. But short-term gains or losses will be quickly forgotten as markets return to normal. What we hope our long-term customers will remember is our efforts to give fair, even-handed treatment to each and all throughout the season, regardless of market.

It has been an exciting season in other ways as well, with our name change, the introduction of our new recyclable celery box and the beginning of our organic program. As we expand and grow in this area, we look forward to meeting and working with new contacts for organic vegetables and tomatoes as well.