YUMA, Ariz. – Bard Valley Natural Delights® recently hosted 15 customers from across North America and Australia for its annual Harvest Tour, which took place September 9-11 in Yuma, Arizona. The immersive event provided attendees a unique, hands-on experience of the Medjool date harvest, as well as an inside look at the brand’s farm-to-shelf process.
The tour kicked off with a private dinner prepared by celebrated local chef Alex Trujillo, who curated a menu featuring Medjool dates in every course, from cocktails and appetizers to dessert. The exclusive dinner set the tone for an exciting journey into the groves the next day.
Participants ventured into the lush date groves to experience harvesting first-hand, being lifted into the trees to witness the labor-intensive process up close. Each Medjool date tree produces 200-250 pounds of fruit—a staggering amount that often surprises first-time guests.
“This is always a favorite moment for new attendees,” said Liam Slavin, Senior Business Development Manager at Natural Delights. “The personal, hands-on nature of harvesting Medjool dates leaves a lasting impression and truly demonstrates how much care goes into cultivating each tree.”
After the grove experience, attendees visited Natural Delights’ state-of-the-art sorting, grading, and packaging facilities, gaining insight into how dates make their way from the field to store shelves. The day concluded with a “Celebrando la Cosecha” dinner alongside the growers, where guests celebrated the harvest while enjoying local flavors.
“The Harvest Tour was exceptionally well-organized, and I was especially impressed by the knowledge shared by the Bard Valley team throughout the tour,” said Michelle Newsome, Commodity Sales & Sourcing Manager at UNFI. “Being able to experience the harvest up close—seeing how dates are harvested, sorted, and packaged—highlighted the remarkable attention to detail that ensures the premium quality of Natural Delights.”
From a harvest perspective, Natural Delights is excited to report that this year’s weather has been ideal for volume, and the company expects a strong crop with excellent fruit quality. “This season’s conditions have set us up for success, and we’re pleased to have enough volume to meet growing consumer demand without facing any shortages,” Slavin added. “We’re particularly excited about the growth in organic dates over the past year, which aligns with our ongoing commitment to expanding our organic acreage. As more consumers seek out organic options, we’re proud to play a significant role in meeting that demand within the date category.”
The dried fruit category continues to grow, with dates leading the charge at 10% growth year over year, according to Circana data (52 weeks ending 9/8/24). Natural Delights, in particular, grew an impressive 16.1% during that same period, driven by the brand’s marketing efforts and consumers’ increasing desire for the highest quality dates.
As the 2024 harvest season unfolds, Natural Delights looks forward to continuing its legacy of providing the finest Medjool dates to consumers across the globe.
