Dates in the desert — Double Date Packing

Take a walk through a date palm ranch in the Coachella Valley and you may spot bunches of yellow, red and purple fruit that hang in the crowns of iconic trees, gleaming in the California sun.

Hot and dry weather is the norm here, along with the sandy, fast-draining soil typical of a desert landscape. The region draws millions of visitors each year for music festivals, sightseeing and trips to Joshua Tree National Park. For date palm farmers, the Coachella Valley is an ideal climate for growing this valuable fruit.

“They stay with us for a reason: because we treat them well. We are a team, and we all jump in to create the most beautiful product that we can, and one that we’re proud to bring to the market.”

If you’re eating more dates than you used to, then you may have Steven Gilfenbain to thank. He’s the CEO of Double Date Packing, a fully integrated growing, packing and shipping operation in Coachella, California, that’s changing the way dates make their way to store shelves.

“My dad taught me many years ago: quality always sells.” said Steven. “We spend a lot of money doing it right to make a very uniform package. In the produce business you need to have uniformity in color, size and shape. If you can accomplish that, you’re going to have an excellent package.”

Double Date specializes in Medjool dates, producing a product that’s both a treat and a health food. That’s part of the magic of dates, and it’s one that’s driven its popularity among health-conscious consumers.

“There’s no reason why a date palm should be growing the way it does, yet it gives us magnificent fruit that has all of these incredible minerals and vitamins,” said Hope Barbee, vice president of sales at Double Date. “Potassium, magnesium…the date is a phenomenal fruit.”

Growing date palms in the California desert

Popping a date into a bowl of oatmeal, adding slices to a smoothie or just eating them as a snack, you may not realize this remarkable fruit has its origins in the Middle East. The Medjool date is native to Morocco in north Africa, where temperatures can climb to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Date palm trees thrive in the desert, but they’re also thirsty for water to grow and produce fruit. Farmers submerge each tree in a shallow water basin, allowing the date palms to pull in moisture from their roots as they slowly reach a maximum height of about 100 feet.

Each date palm tree can produce 150-300 pounds of fruit in a harvest season. It’s a specialty crop that requires long-range planning, as a tree takes at least seven years to reach maturity for a commercial operation.

The date palm has been a symbol of hope, fertility and peace in numerous cultures dating back to the ancient Egyptians. Hope said the experience of visiting a modern date ranch is unlike any other.

“Once you step a few hundred feet into the ranch, and then you look up through the trees and you see the sky, the sun setting or the sun rising – it’s spiritual,” she said. “It is the most powerful, amazing thing that everyone should do when they become involved with dates, because that’s where your heart lies. That’s where it all starts.”

Raising the bar for Medjool dates

Double Date has excelled in a competitive industry by owning each step in the date production process, from farming and harvesting dates to packing and delivering fresh fruit to the market.

Hope credits Steven with helping build a company culture that rewards employees, many of whom have been with the organization since its founding in 2015.

“We have had the same employees for the entire time that we’ve been open.” said Hope.

The company has grown substantially over the past nine years, all while reducing waste and developing more efficient, sustainable processes. Double Date has moved away from the industry’s standard plastic case for packaging, introducing a thinner plastic bag that uses 70% less plastic than a traditional container.

Double Date’s booming business has required capital to purchase land, build a state-of-the-art packing and distribution center, and lease power equipment for its operations. Working closely with American AgCredit has allowed Steven and his team to focus on growing the business.

“American AgCredit is well-suited to support Steven’s growth and commodity upgrades to different crops, because we understand all segments of agriculture.” said Christopher Robertson, a senior loan officer and relationship manager.

Now at the helm of another successful business in agriculture, Steven said he’s looking forward to passing the business on to his son, who he envisions taking the date palm operation to new heights.

“This is a growing industry, and we’re excited about it.” said Steven. “My 23-year-old son is very excited. He’s very smart, he’s good with numbers and I think he’s going to push this company to the next level.”