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2016
The purchase of 50 Female Medjool trees from thermal CA
Desert Sun Dates began in 2016 with the purchase of 50 female Medjool palm trees from Thermal, California. Jason Shopshear sparked the journey. With the dedicated help of Garry Shopshear and Joe D'Anna, the family farm was established.
2016
Land clearing for the Date trees field
Clearing land for Desert Sun Dates began a month after the purchase of 50 female Medjool palm trees from Thermal, California. The dedicated efforts of Jason Shopshear, Garry Shopshear, and Joe D'anna prepared the land for cultivation. This marked the start of their journey to build a thriving date farm.
2016
Planting of the palms
At Desert Sun Dates, the Medjool palm trees were planted with a 25-foot spacing to allow ample room for growth and optimal fruit production. While a 20-foot spacing could have been used for a denser grove, the chosen layout prioritizes the health and productivity of the trees, ensuring each one has the space it needs to thrive in the desert environment.
2017
Roots in the Desert
The first full year was about survival and strong roots. These weren’t producing trees yet — just young palms learning to handle the desert. Every day was hands-on: watering, watching, and making sure each tree made it through the heat. This is where everything really started.
2018
Learning the Land
By year two, the palms were growing stronger and more established. We started understanding the land better — how the soil drains, how much water each tree really needs, and how to care for them through the seasons. The grove was no longer just planted… it was being shaped.
2019
First Signs of Life
This was the first exciting shift. Some of the stronger trees began to flower. That meant one thing — it was time to learn pollination. Every tree had to be climbed and pollinated by hand. No shortcuts. It was a big step toward future harvests.
2020
Expanding the Farm
With confidence growing, so did the farm. We expanded from the original 50 Medjool trees to around 100, and added Zahidi palms as well. What started as a small test turned into a real working grove across several acres.
2021
Building a True Date Farm
This is when the farm became something bigger. With Medjool, Zahidi, and Barhi now growing together, we weren’t just planting trees anymore — we were building a diverse date farm. Each variety added something different, but Medjool remained the focus.
2022
The First Real Fruit
After years of work, the trees finally started producing real fruit. Not huge harvests yet — but enough to see, taste, and understand what we had built. Fresh dates straight from our own trees for the first time. That’s a moment you don’t forget.
2023
Getting Ready to Share
Now it wasn’t just about growing — it was about preparing to sell. We started working on packaging, storage, and how to get dates from the tree to customers while keeping them fresh. This was the bridge between farming and business.
2024
First Full Harvest
This was the milestone. Trees reaching maturity, real harvest volume, and the first time everything came together. Years of planting, watering, and waiting finally paid off with a true crop of Medjool, Zahidi, and Barhi dates.
2025
From Our Farm to Your Door
We launched desertsundates.com and started selling directly to customers. No middlemen, no warehouses — just dates grown, picked, and shipped by us. This is where the farm connected directly with people.
2026
Growing Stronger Every Season
Today, the farm continues to grow with each harvest. The trees are producing more, the process keeps improving, and more customers are discovering what fresh, farm-grown Medjool dates should actually taste like. And we’re just getting started.
Taste the Desert Sun Dates Story
Every bag of dates we ship carries the history of this farm — the land, the palms, and the family that tends them. Here is where to go next.
Shop Our Dates
Medjool, Zahidi, and Barhi dates grown on the same Sky Valley land you just read about. Farm-direct, hand-harvested, shipped to your door.
Shop now →See the Farm
A closer look at how we grow dates in California's Coachella Valley — the climate, the process, and what makes our growing approach different.
Visit the farm page →Recipes from Our Kitchen
Six recipes built around our California dates — from a quick 5-minute stuffed date snack to a from-scratch date nut bread and homemade date syrup.
Browse recipes →