Sustainability

Barnes Farming is an environmentally-friendly operation and preserving the natural beauty of our crop land throughout Eastern North Carolina is a main priority. We implement regenerative agriculture and conservation practices and also abide by social responsibility efforts to provide a safe and comfortable working environment. In addition to these practices, our family-owned corporation holds many certifications that further showcase our commitments to sustainability, food safety, and the overall quality of our products.

We constantly evolve and listen for the latest developments in good agricultural practices, conservation efforts, and social responsibility. Every year, we try new ideas. Let us know if you have any ideas for this year!

Regenerative Agriculture Practices

Featured

Crop Rotation

We rotate the crops that are planted in our fields each year to maintain the nutrients in the soil. We also double-crop wheat with no-till soybeans, meaning that when wheat is harvested in June, we plant soybeans to maximize our farmland’s production without depleting the soil of nutrients.

Cover Cropping

In winter months, we plant cover crops to reduce erosion and maintain healthy soil. We experiment with different types of cover crops like legumes, multiple varieties of wheat, and rye, to understand which is best for different types of soil and the conditions in any given field.

Soil Sampling

Before every planting season, we take soil samples from our farmland to understand the soil's pH level. Knowing the pH level allows us to spread only the amount of lime that is needed, if any. We also sample our soil to see if there are nematodes present in the soil, which cause parasitic damage to crops.

Carbon Sequestration

We are active participants in several carbon programs to learn more about the impacts of our practices on overall soil health and carbon sequestration potential.

Reducing Inputs

We utilize precision agriculture technology to reduce waste in planting, eliminate redundancy, and more precisely apply pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers.

Conservation Efforts

Soil

We consult conservation experts to ensure our farmland is best designed for erosion control, water drainage, and biodiversity. We also implement meadow strips (also called filter, prairie, or buffer strips) that separate two or more areas of a field to prevent soil erosion, filter stormwater, and attract pollinators and other beneficial insects.

Wildlife

Most of our farms have a patch of woodland on them. We have kept these woodlands to reduce wind erosion, contribute to higher biodiversity, and protect wetlands where most of them are located. We began participating in the USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program in the 1980s to formally recognize and commit to the preservation of trees on our farmland. Additionally, we place duck houses in many of the ponds on our land to preserve waterfowl habitat.

Water

We utilize drip irrigation for our most water intense crops like watermelons, sweetpotato beds, and white potatoes. Drip irrigation uses less water than traditional irrigation methods because we are able to place a water emitter directly on the plant so that no water is wasted or evaporated.

Reducing & Recylcing

We commit ourselves to finding markets for all types and grades of sweetpotatoes, whether for fresh market, processing, or donations so that all the sweetpotatoes we grow are used, reducing overall food waste.

Most of our sweetpotatoes are packed in recyclable cardboard boxes or bins. For sweetpotatoes that are bagged, we use bio-able plastic netting. Additionally, our packing facilities recycle all metal and cardboard waste. The cardboard waste is recycled to make our packaging boxes.

Corporate Social Responsibility

We pride ourselves on paying fair wages to all of our employees. Additionally, in 2021, we enlisted corporate chaplains as a resource for all employees to receive encouragement from, confide in, and aid in mental health support, regardless of their religious affiliations.

All of our seasonal workers outside of the US are brought in under the H2A program. In alignment with this program, we provide free housing to all these workers while working at our farm. Some people have been coming for more than 20 years!