Briar View Farm in Virginia: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Briar View Farm in Callands, Pittsylvania County, Virginia, is a roughly 2,200-acre operation built by Robert Mills Jr. with tobacco, a cow-calf herd, pullet breeders and winter wheat. Mills was named the 2017 Virginia Farmer of the Year and the 2017 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year.
| Location | Callands, Pittsylvania County, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Founded | First 80 acres bought in 1998 |
| Sectors | Tobacco, beef cow-calf, pullet breeder poultry, winter wheat, hay |
| Scale | 2,244 acres per Virginia Tech (about 2,200 per Farm Life), about 300 beef cows, most land rented |
| Why it is elite | 2017 Virginia Farmer of the Year and 2017 Southeastern Farmer of the Year |
| Ownership | Owned by Robert Mills Jr. and family |
| Official website | Virginia Tech announcement of the 2017 Virginia Farmer of the Year |
History of Briar View Farm
Robert Mills Jr. bought the farm's first 80 acres in 1998 after his parents heard of a farm for sale. In 2001 he bought a poultry house and left a salaried job to farm full time. Over the next years he added rented land until the operation grew past 2,000 acres.
Virginia Cooperative Extension nominated him for Virginia Farmer of the Year in 2017, and he went on to win the Southeastern title at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Georgia. Mills is also a Virginia Tech alumnus who has served on its Board of Visitors.
What Briar View Farm Grows and Raises
Most of the land is rented from 29 landowners, but the parcels are largely contiguous, so Mills can manage them as one large block. Tobacco is grown in several types, including conventional and organic flue-cured and dark fire-cured. The beef herd has about 300 cows, and winter wheat, pearl millet and hay fit around them.
A poultry house produces about 34,000 pullets a year, which adds a contract-style income stream. Mills has also experimented with hemp in partnership with Virginia Tech and a local bioenergy company.
How Briar View Farm Makes Money
Tobacco
Tobacco remains a core crop in the Pittsylvania County region, and the mix of conventional, organic and dark fire-cured types reaches different buyers.
Beef cow-calf
The roughly 300-cow herd sells calves, which provides income on pasture, hay and wheat ground that is not suited to tobacco.
Poultry pullets and grain
The pullet house provides steady output through the year, while wheat and millet supply cash and feed. Hemp trials show interest in testing new markets.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Briar View Farm
Mills's growth model is renting land from many owners while keeping parcels close together. Contiguous rented ground gives scale benefits without the capital needed to buy every acre.
A second lesson is to mix seasonal and year-round enterprises. Poultry and cattle bring cash flow between tobacco sales. A third is to test new crops in partnership with a university before committing acres.
Few things are as honest as a farm that keeps tobacco, cattle and chickens on the same calendar, and Briar View Farm does it across Pittsylvania County. At farm.FM we file that multitasking under farm humor, because a Virginia farmer juggling pearl millet and 34,000 pullets deserves a laugh and a nap. Our ranch humor shelf says the cows are the only ones on this farm who are allowed to stand still, and our farm jokes about 29 landlords come with respect and a handshake. We are always happy to add more farm satire.
Readers who want the full experience can pair the jokes with Tractor Tunes, the country music for farmers that farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, plays between stories. This author page is a fine starting point.
How to Contact Briar View Farm
Website: https://news.vt.edu/content/news_vt_edu/en/articles/2017/08/ext-farmerofyear.html
No official farm website, address or phone was found in public sources, so none is listed. Contact the Pittsylvania County Virginia Cooperative Extension office for referrals.
Briar View Farm Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Virginia Tech award announcement - 2017 Virginia Farmer of the Year
- Augusta Free Press coverage - 2017 Southeastern Farmer of the Year news
- Farm Life profile - Detail on acreage, tobacco, cattle and poultry
- Virginia Farmer of the Year program - Virginia Cooperative Extension award page
- VDACS agriculture facts - State statistics on Virginia agriculture
Briar View Farm FAQ
Where is Briar View Farm?
It is in Callands, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
What does Briar View Farm raise?
It grows tobacco and winter wheat, runs about 300 beef cows, and produces pullets in a poultry house.
What award did Briar View Farm win?
Robert Mills Jr. was 2017 Virginia Farmer of the Year and 2017 Southeastern Farmer of the Year.
How can I contact Briar View Farm?
No public contact was found, so use Pittsylvania County Extension.
Briar View Farm shows how rented ground, mixed enterprises and steady management can build scale in Southside Virginia. Read the Virginia farms guide and the other profiles for more.