Harvesting medjool dates in the desert

Workers sort trays of medjool dates picked from 70-year-old palms at the Dillon Ranch in Coachella.

Medjool dates are poured into trays after harvest at the Dillon Ranch in Coachella.

Harvest foreman Julian Messemore hydrates as temperatures in the Dillon Ranch date palm grove soar above 100 degrees.

Workers in lifts harvest dates at the Dillon Ranch in Coachella.

Cloth bags are placed around bunches of medjool dates while they are still on the tree to protect them from birds, insects and dust.

Date pickers work under a blistering morning sun at the Dillon Ranch in Coachella.