Clear skies. Low 32F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph..
Clear skies. Low 32F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Updated: March 26, 2022 @ 9:47 pm
Members of the Adkins family can still see older buildings that represent the evolution of the Burton Lake Farm, to include a granary and tobacco barn visible in the background. Pictured is Michael and Jenny Adkins and Linda and John Gibson.
Members of the Adkins family can still see older buildings that represent the evolution of the Burton Lake Farm, to include a granary and tobacco barn visible in the background. Pictured is Michael and Jenny Adkins and Linda and John Gibson.
National Agriculture Week is March 20-26
When Carolyn Adkins looks out beyond the rolling hills behind her house, she can see an old stable, a pack house, a tobacco barn and a wheat granary. Nearby, and behind a thick of trees, is the house her husband Sanford was born,more than 90 years ago.
The stable is one of the oldest in the area and dates back to her late husband’s great-grandparents.
She can also see the farm where she was born from the house too.
“It’s a miracle you can see where I was born,” said Adkins.
The Burton Lake Farm, owned by Adkins, is certified as a Century Farm under the program sponsored by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and established by the General Assembly in 1997.
There are more than 1,500 Century Farms in Virginia and Pittsylvania County has 19, four of which are owned by Adkins. In addition to the Burton Lake Farm, Adkins owns Farmview, Heritage View and the Sailor’s Creek farms.
Jennifer Perkins, coordinator of the VDACS Office of Farmland Preservation, said there are more farms that qualify.
“Agriculture is such an essential part of who we are as Virginians,” Perkins said. “If you’ve made it 100 years or more, it’s a huge accomplishment that ties into our history.”
To qualify as a Century Farm, the farm must have been in operation for at least 100 consecutive years. Those included into the program receive a certificate signed by the Governor and the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and a sign appropriate for outdoor display. In addition, the name of the farm and its owners is listed on VDAC’s website.
The Adkins family grows corn, wheat and sorghum along with cattle, said John Gibson, who is married to Adkins’ daughter, Linda.
The family used to grow tobacco, but transitioned out of that after federal legislation was passed that deregulated the crop and the consumption of tobacco decreased due to fewer people smoking, said Wilson.
Linda’s brother, Michael and his wife, Jenny, also farm the land. Michael started driving a tractor as a child with his father.
Adkins said her husband liked to joke that tobacco juice ran in their veins.
Adkins’ husband, Sanford, died in 2013. They met because her sister married his brother, she said.
“I’m blessed to be a farmer’s wife,” said Adkins, adding that she kept the books on the farm for 60 years.
The family worked together, she said.
Adkins and her husband built the red brick house where she still lives in 1956 with $8,500 they borrowed from the bank.
People said we wouldn’t be able to pay it off, but we worked hard and did, she said.
Wilson said he’s watched the evolution of farming as it has become more commercial and industrialized, he said.
Family farms are slowly becoming a thing of the past, said Gibson.
Gibson said his children do not farm, but they love and appreciate its heritage. He’s determined that it will remain in the family. He has a side-by-side that he likes to take his grandkids around so they can appreciate the land and how valuable it is.
And they want to keep it in the family, as once land is sold it’s nearly impossible to get back, said Gibson.
Having lived her entire 87 years on the farm, Adkins is wedded to the land. It’s where her family has been for generations and hopefully for generations to come.
“I don’t want to be anywhere else,” she said.
Century Farms of Pittsylvania County
Adams Family Farm, Samuel T. Adams, Jr.
Burton Lake Farms, Sanford Joyce Adkins and Carolyn M. Adkins
Clearview Farm, Carl W. Simpson
Dews Family Farm, Kenric and Connie Dews
Farmview, Carolyn M. Adkins
Haymes Farm, Howard Warren Haymes
Haskins Farms, Kenneth and Christine Haskins and Dr. Christopher and Patricia Haskins
Heritage View, Carolyn M. Adkins
Honeysuckle Hollow, M. L. Edmund
The Jess Owen Farm, Jesse Earl Owen
The Meadows Family Farm, Taylor L. Meadows
Meadow View Farm, James Leland Williams
Reynolds Farms, Samuel Stephen Reynolds
Sailors Creek Farm, Carolyn M. Adkins
Singletree Farms, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Douglas Dalton
Stillhouse Farms, Terry A. Moore
Terry Far, Suzanne Terry Emerson, Phyllis Terry McCormick, and James N. Terry, Jr.
Valley Home Farm, Mr. and Mrs. George C. Bird, Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd C. Bird, II and Mr. and Mrs. Ray M. Paul, Jr.
Valley Knob Farm, Christine Hubbard Mayhew and Mary Lou Hubbard
Your comment has been submitted.
Reported
There was a problem reporting this.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.
Today’s most clicked stories.
Danville woman convicted of assault in confrontation at the local animal shelter last summer; We’ll have the first installment of two-part look at Danville’s new tourism strategies; Federal prosecutors are teaming with Danville’s Project Imagine.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
We’ll send breaking news and news alerts to you as they happen!
Receive our newspaper electronically with the e-Edition email.
Would you like to receive our daily news? Signup today!
