November 22, 2010
Apologies to our followers...we didn't get lost...we've just been too busy to sit down and create the posts. We promise to catch up over the next couple of days.
The China date ranch was quite an experience. We drove through a maze of mountainous rock on a road barely wide enough for a car and a half for two miles. We didn't see any elevation markers...but, as the road went down, down, down through the maze, we're pretty sure we were close to sea level, if not below.
After seeing nothing but rock (which we were to learn was a site for silver mining back in the 1880's) we were amazed as 
the scene opened to 1500 date palm trees.
OK...so why all of the clothes hanging on the trees.To keep the birds from eating the dates. Clever!
They grow 9 varities of dates
, and each tree produces between 200 and 500 pounds of dates each season. The tasting room was fun. :-) The China date ranch was area was originally owned by a Chinese man - Ah Foo - who, because of the water at this low level had a lush ranch and grew fruit and vegetables...probably had livestock also, and fed the miners. He "disappeared" around 1910...and the land was taken over years later by a family who discovered they could grow dates very well in this climate. So there you have it! Most varieties of dates come from Iran or India.
, and each tree produces between 200 and 500 pounds of dates each season. The tasting room was fun. :-) The China date ranch was area was originally owned by a Chinese man - Ah Foo - who, because of the water at this low level had a lush ranch and grew fruit and vegetables...probably had livestock also, and fed the miners. He "disappeared" around 1910...and the land was taken over years later by a family who discovered they could grow dates very well in this climate. So there you have it! Most varieties of dates come from Iran or India.
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