In Their Words: Jimbo’s Ryan Peterson

Ryan Peterson is produce director for Jimbo’s, an independent natural foods retailer with five stores in San Diego County. Founded in 1984 by Jim (“Jimbo”) Someck, Jimbo’s has strict ingredient standards for all its products and features an exclusively organic produce department. OPN caught up with Ryan for a chat about Jimbo’s strong relationships with local growers, his department’s creative merchandising efforts, the three produce items he looks forward to each year, and more.

How did you get started working in the produce industry?

I started working at Jimbo’s as a part-time produce clerk while I was still in high school back in 1999. I quickly fell in love with produce merchandising and interacting with local farmers that delivered directly to our store. My passion for produce grew as I advanced into a supervisor, manager, and then director role.