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NewswireTODAY - /newswire/ -
Escondido, CA, United States, 2011/03/01 - Major blows have been dealt to the southern California avocado industry. 26-year-old entrepreneur Ben Holtz, a fourth generation avocado grower, has ventured online selling direct to consumers through his website.
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Major blows have been dealt to the southern California avocado industry. Farmers have faced significant challenges making ends meet including:
• Water rates increased 67% over the past 5 years with no end in sight;
• Imported avocados filling growth in demand, dampening prices;
• Court ruling forced mandatory 30% water rationing in 2007;
• Water salinity increases have reduced fruit size and crop yields.
To combat these changes and to keep the family farm viable, 26-year-old entrepreneur Ben Holtz, a fourth generation avocado grower, has ventured online selling avocados direct to consumers through his website. “My father always expected imported fruit to drive us out of business, he never expected it to be the cost of water,” says Ben.
California Avocados Direct.com has successfully shipped many boxes to customers in the Eastern and Midwestern states of New York, Vermont, Illinois, and Minnesota. “The past few years, the US avocado market has seen double digit growth in consumption of avocados, especially on the east coast,” says Holtz.
Ben never thought he would be running an online business marketing avocados directly to consumers. “I saw an opportunity to tell my story, selling direct and interacting with customers online,” Holtz says. “I found that there are consumers who want to know the farmer and know where their food comes from. They like that I pick the avocados off the tree and ship them the same day.”
For more information, visit the company website at CaliforniaAvocadosDirect.com/.
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bholtz[.]californiaavocadosdirect.com 
