Medjool dates demand a very specific set of growing conditions where high heat, low humidity and plentiful water meet. Lucky for you, we found the perfect location within a 150-square-mile radius at the intersection of Arizona, California and Mexico.
Bathed in sunshine and nourished by the Colorado River, Bard Valley is home to America's favorite Medjool date.
Today, Natural Delights® is distributed around the world and is the nation's #1 Medjool Date brand.
In 1944, there remained 9 surviving date palms from the 11 original palms that were transplanted from Morocco to stave off extinction. Six offshoots from those surviving Medjool palms - now known as the original 6 - were transplanted in Bard Valley, CA, starting what would become the largest Medjool date growing region in the U.S.
Almost all of the Medjool date palms in the southwest U.S. can be traced back to the original 6 offshoots.
Over the next decade, new growers joined the association, and existing operations expanded. This growth was both driven by and supported strong demand for Medjool dates from consumers who had come to expect the high quality provided by the industry-leading Bard Valley Date Growers.
In 2002, the group opened Datepac to pack and ship their dates from under one roof to customers all over the world with unified quality and food safety standards.
As demand for Medjool dates continued to grow in the U.S. and globally, the Natural Delights® brand was born. The Bard Valley Date Growers now packing under one brand, instead of many, could better talk to shoppers about the benefits of their Medjool dates.
Oh, and the original six?
They're still going strong, producing more than 200 pounds of dates each year.
Date palms are propogated from other dates shoots, not from seeds.
Each Medjool date growing season is a six-month process of meticulous care for our date palms that produces the incredibly plump and flavorful fruit that Natural Delights is known for.
Click the images below to learn more about our growers.
Gus Nuñez spent his younger years helping his father, Isabel Nuñez, in the beautiful date gardens where he found his passion. For decades, the Nuñez family has worked to grow one of the largest Medjool producing farm in the US that employs thousands of people every year.
Dave Nelson embodies the character of a dedicated farmer. His passion for Medjool dates, the soil, and the purity of the farming life run deep, going back to his teen years working at a Bard Valley date ranch.
In 1975, using his car as collateral, Dave and his brothers scraped together a down payment for their own date grove. Realizing the power of teamwork, the Nelson Brothers would become founding members of the Bard Valley Date Growers Association.
Dave Mansheim combines a respect for tradition with a passion for innovation as a grower for Natural Delights. Taking advantage of the Bard Valley micro-climate extending some 40 miles south along the Colorado river, his innovative approach to farming has resulted in year over year increases in Medjool dates - allowing more consumers than ever to experience this unique fruit.
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