HealthNotes

One of the best kept secrets in the Coachella Valley is the heritage of farming, including the date palms growing in the valley since the end of the 19th century. Looking for crops to bring back to the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture sent botanists to the Middle East and North Africa, determining the desert climate would be suitable for growing dates. 

Owners of internationally famous Shields Date Garden (founded in 1924 by Floyd and Bess Shields) since 2000, Heather and Greg Raumin’s agricultural roots go back generations in North Dakota, primarily farming wheat and potatoes. Buying their first date farm in 1984, they moved to the Coachella Valley in 1986 and became devoted to this region.