Welcome to Burnside Farms!

We are Leslie Dawley, her son Michael, and Michael’s wife Jess—the family team carrying on a proud legacy as third- and fourth-generation farmers. While our roots run deep in traditional agriculture, our true passion lies in the art of commercial floriculture.

For years, Leslie and Michael steered the ship as a dynamic mother-son duo. But in February of 2025, our family team grew complete when Jess took a leap of faith of her own, stepping away from a successful two-decade corporate career to join the farm full-time. Today, as Leslie’s daughter-in-law and Michael’s partner, Jess has quickly become the operational engine behind the scenes, managing the million moving parts that keep our wheels turning day in and day out.

In the autumn of 2011, we took a collective leap of faith that changed everything, officially inviting our very first visitors onto the farm in the spring of 2012. Today, our family proudly hosts two of the region's most iconic seasonal events: The Festival of Spring and The Summer of Sunflowers.

These nationally recognized, award-winning events draw tens of thousands of visitors from across the country to experience the breathtaking beauty of our fields. Nestled in Nokesville, Virginia, just 40 miles west of the nation's capital, we offer a peaceful escape that has become a calendar highlight for families throughout the East Coast.

Whether you're planning your very first visit or returning for another year of memories, we are deeply grateful to have you as part of our farm community.

Our journey here wasn't exactly planned—in fact, it started by complete accident. Read our full story:

Our Story: An Accidental Field of Dreams

Burnside Farms didn’t start with a grand master plan. Back in 2011, we were simply a mother and son growing cut flowers for florists and regional grocery chains, potted plants for garden centers, and running a quiet, local fall market. But that autumn, a local bulb supplier went out of business and offered Leslie a deal on 35,000 tulip bulbs that she couldn't refuse—even though it was about 34,000 more than we actually needed.

Wondering what on earth to do with them, we took a leap of faith, tucked them into a single half-acre of soil, and hoped for the best. We figured at the very least, it would be a pretty sight for the neighbors.

When the spring of 2012 arrived, we opened our blooming tulip field on Easter Weekend, and the response was instant, overwhelming, and completely magical. Driven entirely by word-of-mouth and visitors sharing breathtaking photos, our "accidental" crop became an overnight success. Standing in the middle of that blooming half-acre, watching families smile, we knew we had stumbled onto something far bigger than ourselves. Prompted by our new visitors asking, “What’s next?” we officially launched the Summer of Sunflowers the very next year.

Weathering the Storms

But as any farmer will tell you, working with Mother Nature means learning how to take a punch. Our growth didn't come easy, and for a long time, we were a farm on the move.

Between 2014 and 2017, we outgrew our original home farm in Haymarket, hopped between two leased properties on Logmill Road, and eventually relocated to Haymarket Drive outside of town. Just as we'd get settled, take down and put up miles of heavy deer fence, and pack up and move our farm equipment, the land beneath us would change—including one heartbreaking season where our lease was abruptly canceled because the property was sold to housing developers.

In 2018, exhausted but determined, we packed up everything one more time and moved to our current leased home in Nokesville. We looked out at the fields and prayed we could finally deep-root our lives and our business here.

Instead, Mother Nature welcomed us with a year of record-breaking, relentless rain. That first year in Nokesville, we suffered a near-total crop failure in both the spring and summer. We watched our hard work wash away, and we came terrifyingly close to losing everything—including the business we had poured our souls into.

But farmers (especially Michael) are stubborn optimists. We spent 2019 rebuilding, held onto each other through the unprecedented chaos of COVID-19 in 2020, and somehow, against the odds, we pulled through.

A True Family Legacy

Today, when you step onto Burnside Farms, you are stepping into our hearts. What started as an accidental gamble on a liquidation sale has blossomed into a cherished annual tradition for families all across the country.

We operate as a true, tightly-knit family team. Leslie and Michael carry on their agricultural roots in the fields every single day, while Jess masterfully coordinates the million moving parts that bring our seasons to life. Her corporate expertise and incredible energy have truly transformed our wild, beautiful dream into a smoothly running reality.

The future of the farm is already hard at work, too. Michael and Jess's son, Nolan, is eagerly preparing to carry the torch forward as our fifth-generation farmer, learning the ropes of the family business from the ground up. Meanwhile, their daughter, Annabelle—who is likely destined for a career on the stage or somewhere with a permanent spotlight on her—brings her own bright energy to the farm. During our open seasons, you can spot both kids out in the fields helping guests, greeting families, and keeping the Dawley family tradition alive and well.

We have cried over ruined crops, moved through many properties, and planted hundreds of thousands of blooms by hand—but through every single high and low, our "why" has never shifted. We do this to share the simple, grounding magic of the earth with you, and to give your family a place to make memories that last a lifetime.

Thank you for being such a vital part of our story. Over the years, we’ve watched our fields become the backdrop for countless proposals, anniversaries, family reunions, and unforgettable milestones. We are deeply honored and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of your story, too. The joy and memories you bring to these fields make you just as much a part of Burnside Farms as we are.

We truly can't wait to see you out in the flower fields soon!

With love,

The Dawley Family

From local roots to national screens, we are deeply grateful to have been showcased across major print and online media and network television.

Our mission has always been to share the magic of agriculture and create unforgettable memories for everyone who steps into our fields. We are incredibly thankful to our visitors for making us a part of their annual traditions and for being the biggest part of our ongoing story.

As seen in these digital and print publications & network television: