Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Von Miller knows what it takes to dominate a field.
For more than a decade, he’s been one of the NFL’s most feared pass rushers, a Super Bowl MVP and the kind of player who changes games and defines eras. But even after all the sacks and all the glory, Miller found himself pulled toward a very different kind of challenge: raising chickens.
Yes, chickens.
Miller is the co-founder of Greener Pastures Chicken, a poultry company based in Texas that produces premium, ethically raised chicken. It’s not a side hustle. It’s a full-scale, purpose-driven business rooted in sustainability, animal welfare and food transparency. It also happens to be the result of one college class he thought would be an easy A.
Related: This Restaurant CEO Created His Own National Holiday (and Turned It Into a Business Strategy)
At Texas A&M, Miller enrolled in Meat Production 101 to boost his GPA. The coursework was manageable, but he couldn’t stay awake in class — until his professor began calling him out. “He’d wake me up and make me recite what I’d learned,” Miller tells Restaurant Influencers host Shawn Walchef. “It stuck with me.”
Years later, long after reaching the NFL, Miller revisited the idea of starting a farm. But instead of going the traditional industrial route, he envisioned something better, something he could be proud to put his name behind. That idea became Greener Pastures Chicken.
At first, people didn’t take him seriously. Why would a football star care about chicken farming? But Miller wasn’t interested in licensing his name. He wanted to build something real. And once it was off the ground, others took notice.
Patrick Mahomes. Drew Brees. These weren’t just big names. They believed in what Miller was building: a farm that prioritized sustainability, animal welfare and transparency. When Miller pitched Mahomes the idea, it wasn’t a dream or a plan. “I’ve been doing this for five years,” he told him.
Mahomes, a fellow Texan, already knew the towns, retailers and values behind the operation. That local familiarity, combined with a clear vision, made it an easy yes. “I don’t talk about what I want to do,” Miller says. “I talk about what I’ve done.”
A “country club for chickens”
Greener Pastures is not your average chicken farm.
Miller calls it a “country club for chickens,” and while that might sound like a punchline, he means it. The birds roam freely on natural grass. They have access to bugs, fresh air and sunshine. The operation is certified organic, non-GMO and humanely raised — the designation Miller is most proud of.
“We want people to see everything,” Miller says. “There’s nothing to hide.” In an industry where transparency is rare, he’s doing the opposite by posting photos, inviting visitors and celebrating a system that gives animals a life worth living, even if it ends in the same place.
The farm isn’t just a business. It’s part of his identity. Miller’s parents and kids are involved. The backyard flock at home now includes nearly 60 birds, some of them practically retirees. “We only eat the eggs,” he jokes. “They’re part of the family.”
Related: These Co-Founders Came From Different Backgrounds, Joined Forces and Now Run 10 Restaurants Together
At scale, Greener Pastures Chicken is proof that purpose and profit can coexist. Miller has taken lessons from championship locker rooms: team-building, grit and competitive fire, and applied them to agriculture. “You can’t ever have another Peyton Manning,” he says. “But you can take little things from great teams and build your own.”
Now he’s imagining what the next five years will bring. Expansion, yes, but never at the cost of core values. Sustainability and humane practices aren’t marketing tools. They’re the foundation. “People care about how their food is produced,” Miller said. “And we start with that in mind.”
Greener Pastures might not have the brand recognition of Tyson or Sanderson Farms, but Miller isn’t chasing anyone else’s model. He’s building something that reflects who he is: disciplined, driven and unafraid to do things differently.
Related: This Restaurant Tech Cost Him a Client — Then Changed Everything for His Business
About Restaurant Influencers
Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point-of-sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.
Toast — Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about Toast.
This story originally appeared on Entrepreneur
