Today we’d like to introduce you to David Pearman.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My farming journey started as a slow burn in 2013, in the form of my first garden in my parents backyard, before I had any idea that I would go on to become a real farmer years later. There in that small plot in Maryland I was bitten by the proverbial garden bug, and from then on I was always thinking about what and where would I grow next? The subsequent few years after then I traveled and moved around a lot, but made it a point to establish new gardens wherever I could along the way. Each new garden was always bigger than the last, which is a trend in my life that continues to this day. Coupled with my own growing experiences, I also spent time reading farming books, going down YouTube rabbit holes, volunteering and working on other farms, all to build my base of knowledge around this new fascination with growing food & medicine.
Things turned up a notch in 2016 when I received the inspiration to turn this plant passion into a business. Ironically at the time, I was living in NYC where I had no space for my own garden, but I had found enough reasons to decide that farming was my future. The idea of working outdoors for myself, providing healthy produce to my community, living in a rhythm of seasonality were among some of the many factors that led me to this life. I promptly left the city, and moved back to the DMV area where I have the most community and more access to land. In 2018, I officially launched my farm business in Baltimore, where I started farming part-time from the backyard of a house I was renting with friends. I had a full-time job at that time, so I had to put in garden work hours in the mornings and evenings, and sold my harvests at a small farmers market in the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore on the weekends.
The year 2020 was probably the most pivotal moment, when I left my salary job and decided to go full-time working on my farm business. I knew I needed a larger land base to cultivate in order to support myself, so I started leasing 2 acres from a friend in Clarksville, MD. This is where One Rock Farm is still thriving today, producing many different varieties of veggies, fruits, mushrooms, herbs and cut flowers for sale. Also important to mention, in 2023, we opened our own brick-and-mortar farm store called One Rock Farmacy, in the charming town of Old Ellicott City. It’s been amazing to see the steady growth of one man’s idea and ambition, turn into an ever-expanding local favorite ag business, supporting a team of 5-6 people each year. Of course, for time’s sake I’ve had to leave out many details of my story for this interview, but here at least you have an outline of the journey!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has not been smooth. More of a rocky climb, but always upward. I would tell anyone that farming is a very rewarding occupation, if your heart is in it. That said, I also feel obligated to say that it is probably one of the hardest businesses to be in, for a variety of reasons. Any beginning farmer is going to make plenty of mistakes early on, which I surely did. Learning from common pressure situations like crop failures, pest damage, and seasonal burnout were and still are short term struggles that I have been able to turn into lifelong lessons and helped me improve my skill and preparation as a farmer. Another constant struggle of this work is simply the physical toll it takes on your body. Finding the energy each day to wake up and use your body for many hours under all the weather conditions that nature has to offer is not easy, to put it lightly. Still in year seven, there is a work/rest balance that I have not found, but feel like I’m getting closer as I find ways to pay for more tools and labor help on the farm. Speaking of the body and its importance to this field of work, brings up the biggest challenge I have faced so far in this business. In 2024, literally the night before the start of that growing season, I fully ruptured my right Achilles tendon and couldn’t walk for about 4 months. When this happened, I thought that season was doomed before it even got started. But thankfully, I was wrong. My community really showed up for me in my time of need, and I received over 60 volunteers to keep the farm going until I was able to get back on my feet. That situation also forced me to start hiring help for the first time, which was a blessing in disguise, as now the farm is stronger and more resilient than ever as a result.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
One Rock Farm continues to evolve a bit each year, but the core of the business has always been growing and selling the highest quality produce that we can offer to our local communities. We grow such a variety of crops (100+ each year) that it’s hard to say we specialize in any one thing, but I will say we are special in the way we produce our vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, herbs and flowers. First off, we are a “no-till, market garden-style” farm, which means we have never tilled the land we plant in for sustainability and soil health benefits, and we plant a wide variety of crops on a small land base. I think in most people’s minds in America, when you picture a farm, you probably think of a farmer on a big tractor, plowing across a field to grow acres upon acres of corn, soy, barley, etc. This is almost the opposite of how we operate. We have a small team of 3-4 people working on the farm using primarily hand tools, space-intensively growing many different crops across 142 fifty foot beds. Although we are not yet certified, we do follow organic growing practices (in my opinion “beyond organic”), and that is a major reason why our customer base continues to grow, as more folks are seeking cleaner and higher quality produce to feed themselves and their families.
Something else we have become known for in our community is our choice to grow crops that are hard or almost impossible to find in grocery stores. I love the challenge of growing something new or culturally specific, and often get folks that walk up excited to see my tables full of colors and crops they’ve never seen before. For example, last year a few West African customers asked if I had any of the small white eggplants that are common to use in their cuisine, which I didn’t have at the time, but this year I found some seed to grow them. I hope those folks come back to find me this year, as they don’t know they inspired me to grow something new!
I could go on and on, but just a few more things I want people to know. At the time of this writing, we are kicking off our 3rd year of our own CSA program, which is basically a subscription to the farm, giving members first priority to our great harvests on a weekly basis for half of the year. CSA membership is the most effective way to support our farm as a customer. Also, One Rock Farm is one of the founding farm members of the awesome flower cooperative, Chesapeake Flower Exchange. We grow some of the best flowers in the state, and primarily serve a growing customer base of florists and wedding designers. Lastly, come visit our small but mighty farm store, One Rock Farmacy! If it is difficult for you to make it to the weekend farmers markets where we vend, you can find all of our amazing produce and many other local goods at our Farmacy four days a week (Thurs-Sun). There are many ways to support and enjoy the fruits of our labor!
What makes you happy?
What a question! There are many things that make me happy. As it relates to my business, I would say one of the most simple things that warms me inside is observing a seed first crack open in the germination process. There is something so pure and hopeful about witnessing this happen, and it doesn’t matter how many thousands or millions of times I’ve seen it, the feeling never gets old to me. Something else that always makes me smile is when customers come find me to share the details of a meal they made with something I grew, or tell me how successful a plant was in their garden that they bought from me. This is the type of connection between farmers and their customers that is largely missing from the food system today, and it inspires me to keep going. One more thing! There are few moments as satisfying as eating something you grew yourself. I can’t help but smile and probably do a little food dance every time I sit down to enjoy a meal featuring produce grown by my hands (or those of my local farmer friends). This is a feeling at the core of why I wanted to do this work from the beginning.
Pricing:
- CSA half-share membership – $400
- CSA full-share membership – $800
- 18-week flower bouquet subscription – $360
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @one.rock.farm
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090952747702
