A big field of artichokes

One of the highlights of our trip to Palm Springs for Les Dames d’Escoffier 2010 annual conference was a pre-conference farm tour. A big bus took Spencer and me (plus 37 assorted Dames and spouses) from our hotel headquarters at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort and Spa in Indian Wells (one of the nine towns that make up the resort area) to the unincorporated parts of the city that form the heart of the growing area.

It was an educational four hours, as we visited Agri Service, Inc., a high-tech composting operation that makes compost from landfill (!); a citrus, date, and table-grape farm right next door that uses the mulch from the composting company to nourish its crops; Ocean Mist Farms, a third-generation grower in business since 1924 and the number-one producer of artichokes in the U.S.; and a stop for lunch at the world-famous Shields Date Garden.

Along the way, we learned that a total of 250 crops are farmed in the Coachella Valley, and something is growing an impressive 365 days per year! Temperatures are so hot in the summertime (upwards of 120 degrees) that the crops are picked and bagged at night.

Special highlights for me were eating leftover table grapes that had shriveled on the grapevines to become raisins, straight from the vine (!). We also picked beautiful fresh lemons that had fallen off the tree straight from the ground.

Shields Date Garden

A stop for lunch at Shields Date Garden was like stepping back in time, from the vintage signage out front. . .

Date crystals and milkshakes at Shields

To the soda fountain inside the gift shop where you can buy the company’s famous Date Crystals and Date Milkshakes (a steal at $3.75). Or just wet your whistle with a fresh-squeezed lemonade or grapefruit juice.

Shields has been in business since 1924, and has a great backstory about the family who founded it.

Dates growing on the tree and bagged for protection from predators and rain

Right outside you find acres and acres of producing date trees. White cloth bags are wrapped around the parts of the trees where the dates grow to protect the precious fruit from predators (such as birds) and the desert’s rare rain shower.

Shields’ Date Milkshake in all its golden, creamy glory

Here’s the famous Date Milkshake, one of the best things I’ve ever put into my mouth. Calories and carbohydrates took second place to sheer joy and goodness here.

Just one last bite!

Another decadent spoonful, as the shake was so thick, it was almost impossible to sip it through the pretty pink straw provided!