With a pitchfork in one hand and an iPhone in the other, today’s more tech savvy farmers are turning their computers on in attempts to win the Facebook and Twitter generations back to produce. Hey, attention spans are shrinking. The youth have no patience to head to the farmer’s market on the weekend, selectively squeezing vegetables to pick the best one. Hey, there is something else more interesting, I’m already distracted. Farmer Ben of California Avocados Direct

So, what are farmers to do? Let their consumers slip away into pre-packaged buying trends. No, they say. A whole new generation of farmers is allowing the modern shopper (internet browser) to the access the freshest, hand-picked produce…. right from your home computer! Everything is available online nowadays, so why not fresh fruit and vegetables?

Ben Holtz is both a tribute to the way things used to be done (he’s a fourth generation avocado farmer) and to the way things are soon to be done. Ben is a bit of a pioneer, and is one of the first farmers to truly embrace the online social networking element to food production and sales. Ben’s company, California Avocados Direct, ships farm-fresh California avocados directly to customers throughout the country.

This is like Farmers Market 2.0. Ben literally goes straight from the keyboard over to his orchard to hand select and hand pack his avocados. What more do you want? Heck, I’m sure if you buy enough of them, Ben will even come over and mash them up for some guacamole for you!

-bryan