Johnny Barnes
PRESIDENT
Johnny Barnes is the President of Barnes Farming Corporation. He returned to work on his family’s farm after college and has successfully grown the operation to where we are today. Johnny holds a degree in Agricultural Economics and now serves on the Board of Visitors at his alma mater, North Carolina State University. He is also the President of the American Sweet Potato Marketing Institute (ASPMI). Johnny is married to Lisa Barnes, who serves as a North Carolina Senator. They have raised 3 children who have all begun successful careers in the agriculture industry; Bethany, Josh, and Jacy.
Joshua Barnes
VICE PRESIDENT & OPERATIONS MANAGER
Josh joined Barnes Farming full-time in 2018 after growing up working on the family farm between breaks at school. Upon graduating from North Carolina State University in Agricultural Business Management with Horticultural and Crop Science minors, he spent 3 years as a crop nutrient sales representative. His responsibilities include managing greenhouse transplants, sweetpotato micropropagation, post-harvest storage of sweetpotatoes, and tobacco production and sales. Josh is a Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) and 4R Nutrient Management Specialist (4R NMS).
Drew Paterson
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Drew has been with Barnes Farming/Farm Pak since 2013. His responsibilities include all finance operations, IT, and human resources. Prior to coming to Spring Hope, Drew held several finance and operating positions with 4 different companies over a 27-year career. He is a CPA and holds an MBA.
Susan Moore
PAYROLL & HUMAN RESOURCES
Susan has been with Farm Pak/Barnes Farming since 2022. She manages all aspects of human resources and payroll, overseeing and reviewing the records for as many as 800 people during harvest season. She has 30+ years of experience in HR and payroll in both agriculture and non-agriculture-related companies in the area. Growing up in Wilson (10 miles south of our office), she’s happy to continue her career at a local-based company.
Blayne Dixon
FARM MANAGER
Blayne has been with Barnes Farming/Farm Pak since 2014. His responsibilities include labor management, sweetpotato and watermelon production, field production, and packing shed operations. Prior to his career at Barnes Farming, Blayne worked in many aspects of the produce industry on the west coast.
Randy Morris
EQUIPMENT MANAGER
After 17 years, Randy hadn’t ever considered selling his automobile repair shop, but when he received a call from his brother about a new opportunity, he took the interview. After only 30 minutes of chatting with management at Barnes Farming Corporation, his mind was made up. Within two months, he sold his shop and never looked back. Today Randy manages all the farming equipment for the company—from servicing and ordering parts to making decisions about inventory and costs. What he loves most about his job might be a toss-up between the exciting challenge of improving efficiency and costs and the opportunity to work side by side with his brother.
Jose “Pepe” Calderon
SALES
Pepe has been the Sales Manager at Farm Pak/Barnes Farming since 2007 and previously held the position of Labor Coordinator and a packer in the packing house. Pepe arrived in the U.S. in 2001 as a H2A farm labor worker from Costa Rica. He holds degrees in accounting, business administration, and computer science. In 2017, he was appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to the Board of Agriculture.
Fred Chubb
LOGISTICS MANAGER
Fred has been with Barnes Farming/Farm Pak since 2016. He has Bachelor's in Business Administration from Ferris State University. His responsibilities include Domestic and International transportation management. Prior to arriving at Barnes Farming/Farm Pak Fred held Transportation Management positions for both large and small companies developing their transportation programs for 20+ years.
Jacy Barnes Clapp
MARKETING
Jacy joined Barnes Farming/Farm Pak full-time in 2023. While growing up on the farm, her favorite days included selling at the local farmers market or delivering watermelons to local grocery stores. She now manages the marketing and sustainability initiatives for Barnes Farming/Farm Pak after 7 years of sales and marketing experience across the wine, egg, and hydroponics industries. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and a minor in Agricultural Business Management from North Carolina State University.