Photos courtesy of Candace Monaghan
Botetourt Technical Education Center (BTEC) welding students recently collaborated with Candace Monaghan of the Beaver Dam Farms Sunflower Festival to construct a cow from items Monaghan found on her farm.
“The BTEC welding class is one of our incredible festival vendors, and we teamed up with them to create something truly special,” Monaghan shared. “On a treasure hunt around the farm, I stumbled upon an old milk can, once used by the dairy, and an antique oil tank that had served one of the farmhouses. Inspired by these pieces of history, I approached the BTEC students with an idea: let’s build a cow to stand proudly at our entrance.”
Over the course of a semester, the BTEC students worked together and helped bring a vision to life, welding together the salvaged materials into a cow made from the oil tank and milk can. Monaghan shared that the cow has become an instant favorite for visitors. The flowers were made from used metal coffee cans by Monaghan’s grandparents.
“Visitors can’t resist stopping to snap photos with it, and it’s become a true symbol of the creativity and craftsmanship behind the festival,” Monaghan said. “It’s a great project of upcycling and a great conversation piece!”
~ Fincastle Herald staff report
