Samano Dates vs Desert Sun Dates: Wholesale Flats or Farm-Direct Boxes?

Samano Dates is a small wholesaler in Coachella — a working business, not a visitor stand — that will happily sell you a flat of dates if you call ahead. No storefront theater, just fruit moving the way most of the valley’s fruit actually moves.

What Samano does well

Wholesale simplicity at the source. If you’re local, know what you want, and call ahead, a flat from a Coachella wholesaler is a perfectly good way to buy dates.

We grow these. Golden Zahidi Dates — Nutty, Less Sweet, Never Sticky | California Farm-Direct from our family farm in Sky Valley, California — from $15/lb, shipping included. See them →

What farm-direct from us looks like

We’re a grower, not a middle step — and we ship. Our own Medjool, Zahidi and seasonal Barhi from Sky Valley: jumbo Medjool from $19 (to $9.83/lb by the box), Zahidi from $15, and for volume buyers anywhere in the lower 48, 24–100 lb cases at $9.00–$9.50/lb with freight included — posted prices, no call-ahead haggling.

The honest verdict

Local and buying flats? Call Samano. Anywhere else — or if you want the grower’s name on the box — that’s what we built. More of the valley: the grower’s guide.

Written by Jason Shopshear of Desert Sun Dates, Sky Valley, California.