Natural Delights Medjool Dates Gears Up for Ramadan

Growers of Bard Valley Natural Delights, the country’s top-selling Medjool date brand, are gearing up for Ramadan 2012, the yearly month-long Muslim observance. Ramadan is the holiest time of the year on the Islamic calendar and signifies a month of humility and purification in which Muslims fast from dusk to dawn. In a tradition that dates back to the seventh century, participants customarily break their daily fast with a Medjool date. Ramadan in 2012 is July 19 to August 18. “The centuries-old tradition of breaking fast with a Medjool date is actually linked to the nutritional content of the fruit itself,” says Dave Anderson, marketing director of the Bard Valley Medjool Date Growers Association (BVMDGA), responsible for the majority of Medjool dates grown in the United States. “Pound for pound, Medjools contain more vitamins and minerals than other fruit their size. They are high in antioxidants, potassium and manganese, but most importantly it’s the sweetness in our fruit that helps re-energize and refuel the body after a day of depletion.” In preparation for the month-long religious celebration, Natural Delights is working with wholesale and retail partners to display two-, five- and eleven-pound boxes. Retailers will also display shippers with special seasonal Ramadan header cards. The brand’s Ramadan efforts will conclude with the beginning of the new crop season in the scenic Bard Valley in California, home to the Natural Delights brand.