California Date Palm Workshop in Indio highlights the impact of agriculture on the Coachella Valley

The 2023 California Date Palm Workshop, an event that presents data and research on the “state of the date” crop in California, is being held today in Indio.

This annual event will be held for the first time at the Coachella Valley History Museum.

Supervisor V. Manuel Perez will be among the guest speakers to open the symposium.

“The date crop has a long and important legacy in California and especially the Coachella Valley, which leads the country in date production,” said Supervisor Perez. “Date growing is at the origin of the Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival we’re celebrating now, which is 75 years running, and continues to sustain our economy, families and community. I am excited that this academic event is being held at the Coachella Valley History Museum, home to the date museum, for the first time, giving everyone involved in our date industry and the community access to the latest research and data on this important product grown in our region.”

The 2023 California Date Palm Workshop is hosted by the University of California in partnership with the California Date Commission.

“An event such as this is the perfect opportunity to showcase how impactful agriculture is on this region,” said Mark A. Tadros, a board member and chair of the marketing committee for the California Date Commission and president of Aziz Farms and Date Harvest Festival. “Science, industry, tourism and elected officials all coming together for a comprehensive presentation on a single agricultural item shows how significant the date industry is to our valley. We are very fortunate as an industry to have such strong leaders and partners to help champion our cause.”

The in-person workshop is from 8 a.m. through 1 p.m. at the Coachella Valley History Museum in Indio.