Elisha Barnes of Pop Son Farm has shown how preserving “shocking” history and caring for the land can lead to a profitable operation.
Elisha is a fourth-generation farmer in the small town of Branchville, Virginia. He grows a variety of produce, including fresh produce for a Farm to Foodbank project by Hubs Peanuts called Izzie's Field.
But Elisha is best known for growing redskin peanuts and curing them through the method of “shocking.” Shocking is the process of stacking the peanuts and vines on a pole in the field to dry and cure for about six weeks, allowing the peanuts time to sweeten.
“This process is as historical as it is effective,” said Elisha at the Virginia Farm to Table Conference in 2024. During the conference, his granddaughter Layla Barnes joined him for his keynote. Layla shares his passion for preserving the history of growing peanuts this way, and she plans to continue Elisha’s work at Pop Son Farms.
“I can proudly look at her and say I can see the future of Pop Son Farm,” said Elisha.
After the conference, Elisha and Layla gave a tour to Eric Bendfeldt of Virginia Cooperative Extension on a chilly December day. They walked through the fields to see the piles of vines and peanuts curing on the poles. Passersby sometimes stop to ask Elisha about what he is doing, and he takes the opportunity to share the history and art of the process.
“There’s a payday that comes if you’re passionate about the land,” said Elisha during his keynote.
Elisha described how he rotates crops and nourishes the soil. The 4 core principles of soil health management – keeping the soil covered, minimizing disturbance, maximizing living roots, and energizing with diversity– are all part of his caring for the land.
While people have taken note of his method and passion, Elisha shared that not everyone saw the value and profitability of this work at first. He appreciates Hubbard Peanut Co.’s partnership to sell his specialty single origin peanut crop.
Elisha’s work has been featured in Southern Living, Garden and Gun, The Peanut Farmer, National Geographic, the USDA Farmers.gov’s “Fridays on the Farm” blog, and numerous other outlets. In 2024, he won Hubbard Peanut Company’s Made in the South Award for Sustainability.
“Do something to inspire the next generation to be a farmer,” said Elisha.
Elisha continues to preserve the tradition and art of shocking peanuts - and his Single Origin Redskins are often sold out online!
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