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China Ranch Date Farm
Have a date in Death Valley…the fruit variety that is…the human variety may just not turn up!
Hot Dates
Many plants wouldn’t survive the sizzling heat and the almost unbearable weather, but there’s one fighting fruit out there that can survive and even thrive in these conditions, it's the California date. Death Valley with its flourishing agricultural product is a goldmine for California, renowned for its dates.
China Ranch Region
When travelling through the Death Valley region, most visitors will get to see the scenic and historic China Ranch region, which contains a real desert haven, the China Ranch Date Farm.
The Date Farm
The family owned and operated farm provides a fertile slice of greenery in the baking Mojave Desert, near Southern Death Valley. The farm looks like a tourist attraction but it is indeed a working family farm in a truly odd setting.
A Date In History
Living up to 200 years in their native areas of North Africa and Arabia, dates were imported on a large scale into the U.S. in the 1890s with large plantings being made in the lower Colorado River desert areas of California and Arizona. The trees thrived and today, U.S. date farmers produce more than 60 million pounds of fruit annually.
Healthy Dates
Dates have always been popular, due to their amazing health benefits. California dates are cholesterol free, sodium free, fat free and a great source of fibre, all of which are vital factors in reducing the risk of both heart disease and cancer. Dates have only 23 calories each and contain more potassium than bananas.
Food to Date
There’s plenty of ways to eat dates and The China Ranch Farm offers the fruit in many various forms, from date-chocolate to date bread to chip cookies to date nut muffins to date nut cookies to date shakes.
Go Exploring
Visitors should explore the ranch or go on a recommended trail, especially during the cooler months, which range from simple short strolls to more challenging rambles with some altitude gain and rock scrambling. Some of the trails lead to viewpoints, while others explore into side canyons and eroded rock formations. Desert wildlife and about 200 varieties of birds, attracted to the oasis, provide many opportunities for observation and photography.
Further Information
The farm, less than 90 miles from Las Vegas, is located in Tecopa, California and only 45 minutes from Pahrump, in the southern limits of Death Valley National Park, following Interstate 15 south to state Highway 160.China Ranch remains open all year round, except Christmas Day, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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