NEW YORK, NY - Expanding its leadership team, Bowery Farming announced the hiring of Robert Ybarra as Director of Business Development.

Ybarra joins Bowery after more than 30 years at H-E-B, where he was Director of Produce Sales and Merchandising. Most recently, he was Director of Business Development at Villita Avocados, where he spearheaded new business opportunities with big-box retailers, a press release detailed. Prior to that, he was Director of Produce at Rouses and Coborn’s.

He brings a wide array of experience across the food and produce industries, bringing expertise in retail, manufacturing, procurement, and distribution to his new role. At Bowery, Ybarra will develop new grocery retailer relationships to further expand access to the company’s offerings.

In this new position, he will report to Elayne Dudley, Vice President of New Business Development.

“It’s been an unprecedented time of growth at Bowery as we’ve launched the next chapter in climate-smart agriculture and broken ground on new farms beyond the Northeast,” said Katie Seawell, Chief Commercial Officer at Bowery. “As we continue our national expansion, Robert’s role in expanding retail partnerships will further Bowery’s commitment to reimagine the fresh food supply chain and help build resilient communities with local sources of fresh produce.”

As the release explained, Bowery is on track to double its number of farms in 2023 and has doubled revenue for the second year in a row.

Congratulations to Robert Ybarra on this new role!

Bowery Farming