YUMA, AZ - Shoppers have already started planning ahead for the holiday season, and ready to meet customer demand is Bard Valley Natural Delights®. In this exclusive look at the grower’s operation, we will hear about how dates are harvested, the company’s farming practices, as well as marketing and merchandising strategies.
David Baxter, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Bard Valley Natural Delights®
"This, right here, next to me is how a date tree starts. This tree will grow about a foot a year, and in about 7 years, it'll start producing fruit, and it'll look like one of these trees behind me here. So this is a very special area for growing dates because of the location; dates need a lot of water, they need very high heat, but they also need it to be very dry. This area is special because of the high water table, so the roots of these trees will actually reach down and siphon water off of the water table, and then we also have these micro sprayers here on the trees to give them that little added boost from the surface."
"Each tree will produce around 250 lbs of fruit, and we have around 7,000 to 10,000 acres in our association. So we'll harvest for about three weeks every year, and those are the dates that we'll sell throughout the year. That's why we have year-round supply dates that have a natural long shelf-life—they last a long time."
Edgar Calaviz, Quality Compliance, Bard Valley Natural Delights®
"Through sustainability, we try to enhance the quality of the soil because we want this business to continue for generations to come. There are a lot of organic practices that are in place and also regenerative farming practices. The intention is to protect the environment. By implementing these practices, we greatly minimize the amount of chemicals and also the amount of purchased fertilizers that we employ in our farming operations, and this enhances the quality of the soil; it promotes a lot more water retention allowing us to produce great quality product that can be sold anywhere in the world so they can keep enjoying the fruits of our labor."
Bridgette Weber, Sales and Marketing Manager, Bard Valley Natural Delights®
"We do a lot of different things to connect with our consumers. We stay active on social media to inspire them with new date recipes and give them behind-the-scenes looks at how dates are grown. We also partner with registered dietitians to help people learn more about the health benefits of dates. We also help educate our retailers so that they know the optimal times to promote and merchandise dates."
"Ramadan and the holidays are really important for our category so, we're making sure our retailers are equipped with all the information and support they need during those times. We also invest in data to provide category insights for our retail partners and help them optimize in their specific markets."
Dates have diverse applications, making them a perfect counterpart for an array of fresh produce and exciting seasonal promotions.
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