Candace W. Monaghan

Candace Monaghan is a fourth-generation farmer, entrepreneur, and community leader from Botetourt County, Virginia. Growing up on her family’s dairy farm alongside her siblings, Candace learned lifelong lessons in responsibility, perseverance, and the value of hard work—qualities that continue to guide her today.

She attended Virginia Western Community College, where she nurtured her love for the arts and earned a degree in Communication Design. This creative background has been a driving force behind her ability to merge creativity and farming—turning a vision into a celebrated reality.

In 2016, she founded the Beaver Dam Farm Sunflower Festival to help diversify her family’s century-old farm, transforming it into the largest sunflower festival and vendor show on the East Coast, drawing more than 21,000 visitors annually. The festival now spans ten days and features over 120+ vendors, hayrides, live music, and unique agri-tourism experiences, while also serving as an educational platform for children, seniors, and special needs groups.

In addition to running the festival, Candace operates her freelance graphic design business, Candace Monaghan Design, which she started in 2007, and she owns Gracely Hill, a wedding and event venue on the farm. She is an active advocate for agriculture through her work with the Virginia Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee and is passionate about connecting the public to the people and stories behind their food.

In 2025, Candace added a new title to her list of accomplishments—children’s book author. She recently published her first illustrated book, From Seeds to Sunshine, which shares the story of her family farm and sunflower festival with young readers, blending her love for creativity, agriculture, and education.

Candace’s work blends creativity, agricultural heritage, and community spirit, earning her recognition as a leader in agri-tourism and rural economic development.