No products in the cart.
California dates, in short: almost every date grown in the United States comes from California’s Coachella Valley, a low desert east of Palm Springs, harvested by hand from late summer into fall. The two California dates most people mean are Medjool (big, soft, caramel-sweet) and Deglet Noor (smaller, firmer). We grow Medjool and golden Zahidi in Sky Valley and ship them anywhere in the lower 48, shipping included.
Nearly all American-grown dates come from one place: the low desert of California’s Coachella Valley and the area around the Salton Sea, with a smaller share from Bard and Yuma on the Arizona border. If the bag doesn’t say where the fruit was grown, it was very likely imported. We farm in Sky Valley, at the Coachella Valley’s edge — here’s the honest picture of what “California-grown” means and how to actually get it.
Shop California Medjool →Shop California Zahidi →
Grown, packed and shipped from Sky Valley, CA · shipping included
Where dates grow in the USA
Date palms need brutal, dry heat with water at the roots — “feet in water, head in fire,” as the old growers put it. In the United States that combination exists at scale in exactly two neighborhoods: the Coachella Valley/Salton Sea basin in California, and the Bard–Yuma area straddling the Arizona line. California produces the large majority of the U.S. crop, and the Coachella Valley is its historic heart — date gardens have run here for over a century.
American-grown vs imported: how to tell
- Variety is a clue. Medjool and Deglet Noor dominate U.S. plantings. Ajwa, Sukkari, Khalas, Mazafati and most specialty varieties are imports — see our grower’s guide to the types of dates.
- Look for a farm name, not just a brand name. A brand can pack fruit from anywhere. A farm grows where it grows.
- Ask when it was harvested. U.S. dates come off the palms August–November. A seller who can’t answer is a reseller.
Why buy American-grown
Honestly? Not patriotism — freshness and accountability. Imported dates have crossed an ocean and multiple warehouses; by the time they reach a shelf, a year old is normal. California fruit bought from the farm that grew it is weeks to months old, and there’s a person to call about it — our number is (760) 501-1845 and a farmer answers it. Buying American-grown also keeps a century-old desert farming tradition alive; the Coachella Valley’s date gardens are real places with real families behind them, ours included.
California dates for sale, straight from a California date farm
If you want California dates for sale from the farm that grew them, we sell ours directly. We are a family date farm in Sky Valley, in the Coachella Valley, and we ship fresh California dates to all lower-48 states with shipping included. Every box is whole fruit, one ingredient, packed by us.
| California date | What it’s like | Price, shipped |
|---|---|---|
| Jumbo Medjool | Soft, caramel-sweet, 22 to 28 to the pound | 1 lb $19 · 2 lb $29 · 12 lb $118 ($9.83/lb) |
| Golden Zahidi | Semi-dry, nutty, less sweet, holds its shape in baking | 1 lb $15 · 2 lb $23 · 12 lb $88 ($7.33/lb) |
| Barhi | Soft, butterscotch, picked fresh in late summer | Sold out this season; back next harvest |
| Bulk Medjool cases | 24 to 100 lb, sealed 1 lb or 2 lb containers | $228 to $875 ($9.50 to $8.75/lb) |
Every size is on our box sizes and prices page. Sending California dates as a gift? Our date gift box comes with your handwritten note. Restaurants and stores can ask for wholesale pricing. To see the farm behind the fruit, visit our page on our Coachella Valley date farm.
California date farms: where they are and who they are
California date farms are concentrated in two places. The big one is the Coachella Valley and Salton Sea basin in Southern California, where family-run date gardens have operated for over a century. The smaller one is the Bard and Yuma area on the Arizona line. Most California date farms are small and family-owned, sell mainly during the harvest, and many do not take visitors.
If you are looking for a particular farm, start with our guide to the date farms of the Coachella Valley, which lists the growers by area. We also compare ourselves honestly with other California date farms: Sam Cobb Farms, San Marcos Date Farm, Borrego Dates and Hadley Fruit Orchards.
Our corner of it
We grow Medjool, Zahidi and a small seasonal crop of Barhi in Sky Valley, one of the driest, hottest pockets of the valley. One harvest a year, hand-sorted so only the largest, best fruit ships, one ingredient in the box, shipping included to the lower 48.
California dates, shipped to your door
You don’t have to visit the desert to get California dates fresh from the grove. We pack every box to order and ship it from our farm, usually arriving in 2–5 business days. Every price includes shipping to the lower 48.
| Box | Jumbo Medjool | Per pound |
|---|---|---|
| 2 lb | $29 | $14.50 |
| 4 lb | $49 | $12.25 |
| 6 lb | $67 | $11.17 |
| 12 lb | $118 | $9.83 |
Shop California Medjool dates → · Golden Zahidi from $15 · Send them as a gift →
Wondering where to buy Medjool dates that were picked this season? Straight from the farm. Holiday order-by dates: Thanksgiving Nov 13 · Christmas Dec 14. Had dates on a trip to Palm Springs? Ours come from the same valley: Coachella Valley dates, shipped.
Common questions
Are dates grown in California?
Yes. California grows nearly all of America’s dates, mostly in the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs and around the Salton Sea. The harvest is by hand, from late summer into fall. See how Medjool dates are harvested and how they grow.
Are Medjool dates grown in the USA?
Yes — California is one of the world’s premier Medjool producers, and the variety is the signature crop of the Coachella Valley and Bard. Ours grow in Sky Valley, California.
What percentage of dates are imported?
Most dates eaten in America are imported, and nearly all specialty varieties are. U.S. production is real but small and concentrated — which is exactly why fruit labeled with a specific California farm is worth seeking out.
When are California dates in season?
Harvest runs late summer through fall. Because dates cure and store beautifully, current-harvest California fruit is available from farms year-round — our season calendar has the full picture.