Yuma, Arizona (AZFamily)—Yuma County produces millions of pounds of dates each year, making it a $30 million industry for the region.

Yuma date farmers are in the middle of a harvest season that lasts about six weeks.

Yumi Deitz He owns about 3,000 acres of date palm farms in Summerton, Arizona, and Bird, California.

They are an organic farm and one of only a few date farms certified as regenerative organic, a practice that focuses on improving the health of the land and the communities that farm it.

“(We) till the land to improve the soil, we pay our workers a fair, livable wage, make sure they know their rights and treat our employees fairly,” said Raul Peraza, organic specialist at Yumi Dates.

Peraza said they expect to harvest more than 20 million pounds of dates, a fruit beloved by many for its sweetness and health benefits.

“Dates are rich in fiber and potassium, they give you energy, so it's great to see people buying them,” Peraza said.

Peraza said Yumi Dates has about 800 employees.

All around the farm, workers are harvesting dates, plucking them from 15-foot-tall date palm trees.

Workers use mechanical lifts to reach the dates and ensure they pick the best bunches.

Peraza said this season is shaping up to be a great one.

“This year is a good season and we are expecting a good harvest. I'm very happy. The past two years it's been really hard around this time of year with so much rain,” Peraza said.

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