FARM FACTS

HISTORY:
• The Desert Fruit Company is locally owned and has been operating in Alice Springs, Central Australia, since 1991
• it is one of only two commercial Date plantations in Australia
• the Plantation was established by Jim & Trudi Luedi, who already owned the Dates Garden (Australia´s oldest Dates Garden) also in Alice Springs
• the Company is currently owned and operated by Dave Berrick who took over from Jim & Trudi Luedi in 2006

PLANTATION:
• Tamara Plantation is located 70km South East of Alice Springs, near the edge of the Simpson Desert
• over 700 Palm Trees which were originally imported from California (USA) in the 1990´s grow on the 100 hectare Tamara property
• 9 varieties grow on the Farm, including the premium soft Medjool, the Barhee, the Khadrawi and the Halawi, as well as the dry Zahidi and Thory varieties
• the Plantation is watered by artesian water – the Bore is 240 metres deep but the water level is 45 metres below the surface

GROWING CYCLE:
• the season starts in September when the Palm Trees start flowering
• each flower has to be manually pollinated and produces one bunch of Dates
• each flower is then manually thinned out to create a fewer number of better size and higher quality Dates
• when the bunches have set fruit and the stems are fully extended they are pulled down and tied to a lower branch to facilitate easier access. This also provides additional support for the weight as the fruit gets bigger and heavier
• to protect the Dates, particularly from birds who tend to be rather partial to them, each bunch is covered with a plastic bag
• around February some varieties are ready to be picked
• all picking usually finishes by the end of April
• all Palm Trees are then pruned and all the old bunch stems removed in preparation for the next season
• around the middle of June, upon completion of this work, it's time to take a well earned break and to concentrate on Marketing the crop
• from September the whole process begins again

Female Flower

Female Flower

Male Flower

Male Flower

Trees with crop on

Trees with crop on

New Farm House on Tamara Plantation

Sunday Market in Alice Springs