ABOUT COFI
Built From Agronomy. Driven by Better Fertility.
California Organic Fertilizers has been developing and manufacturing fertilizers for organic agriculture since 1990. Our work has always started with the same question: how do we provide crops with nutrition that performs reliably in the field?
OUR ROOTS
Built by Agronomy, not by Trend.
California Organic Fertilizers was founded in 1990, when organic production was still viewed by many as a fringe idea. Founder Tim Stemwedel had already spent years working as a Pest Control Advisor and agronomist in California agriculture. His field experience convinced him that growers needed better long-term approaches to crop nutrition and soil fertility.
He began developing fertilizers specifically for organic production—products designed to be practical, reliable, and easy to use in commercial farming. When conventional dealers initially showed little interest, he took the products directly to growers. Those early farm relationships helped establish the company and shaped the grower-focused approach COFI still follows today.
The secret to our success: our tribe.
Tim Stemwedel-Founder & CEO
Agronomist. Biologist. Inventor.
Tim’s career is built on a simple, core mission: helping growers improve farm yields, elevate crop quality, and maximize profitability while systematically mitigating the operational risks of farming.
A true field-first expert, Tim spent years serving as a Pest Control Advisor in California's Imperial Valley. His deep academic foundation includes a Bachelor of Science from Cal Poly Pomona and an MBA in Agroeconomics from Fresno State University. He is a Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) and a former Peace Corps volunteer stationed in Brazil—an experience that made him fluent in Portuguese alongside his fluency in Spanish.
At his core, Tim is an educator who loves to share what he has learned. A regular speaker at agricultural industry meetings and events, he takes complex biological and agronomical concepts and turns them into practical, high-yield solutions for modern farms.
Deborah Stemwedel-CFO & Brand Strategist
Archivist. Controller. Systems Architect.
Deborah spent the foundational years of the company building and scaling its core operational infrastructure. Before anchoring the family business, she served as a senior executive for a prominent national department store chain. She successfully channeled her corporate expertise in high-volume inventory management, strategic procurement, and human resources into creating a company that is extraordinarily agile, structurally sound, and rapid to adapt to shifting market conditions.
Today, Deborah balances her financial oversight as CFO with directing the company’s educational outreach, managing media engagement, and leading trade show operations to connect directly with the agricultural community.
Daren Stemwedel-VP Operations & Corporate Counsel
Attorney. Logistics Specialist. Operational Specialist.
Daren brings a lifetime of hands-on expertise to California Organic Fertilizers, having grown up working in the family business since the age of 14. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Fresno Pacific University and his Juris Doctorate from San Joaquin College of Law. After practicing at a prominent Fresno law firm, Daren returned full-time to the company in 2016 to lead its daily operations.
Today, Daren oversees the manufacturing plant’s core functions, including procurement, logistics, and order fulfillment. He seamlessly balances these operational responsibilities with his role as Corporate Counsel—negotiating strategic contracts and rigorously monitoring compliance with complex state and federal agricultural laws to ensure absolute reliability for our customers.
Achievers. Diehards. Problem Solvers.
The COFI Crew- Mechanics, Machinists, Operators
These are the exact people you want in your tribe during an apocalypse. They know how to get things done. They improvise, adapt, streamline, and meet every operational challenge head-on. From our most veteran team member (36 years of service) to our newest hire (3 years of service), every individual brings a massive wealth of technical knowledge to our floor.
The Crew constantly innovates mechanical systems to make production run smoother, and they fundamentally understand the real-world urgency of your shipping schedules. Above all, they maintain an exemplary safety record because they treat the plant and their co-workers like a second family—protecting one another while building the products that power your farm.