Our Story

Rain Drop Farms began as a backyard dream, some gifted dahlia tubers and pure determination. Founded in 1999 by Erin McMullen and Aaron Gaskey, the beginning years focused on growing

vegetables for the Corvallis Farmers Markets. While veggies were satisfying and challenging, property to grow on proved to be challenging to find and afford and Erin and Aaron narrowed their crop list when they were finally able to buy a piece of property in the foothills of Oregon's Cascade range. For a few years Erin had been dabbling in flowers, adding dahlias when Aaron’s grandmother gave her a dozen or so tubers, as well as other annuals. The property that they moved to fit flowers better than veggies, and flowers presented a new and exciting challenge. The property was reclaimed from a clear cut after having been abandoned for two years. After developing one small section at a time, spending hundreds of hours clearing invasive species, branches and slash, it became obvious that that original 3 acres was not enough to grow the business, so they started the search to expand.

Reaching out to neighbors yielded amazing results and new relationships that have allowed the farm to grow, now covering a 25 acre footprint, all within a mile of the home farm. In 2025 the farm has 12 of those acres under cultivation, including thirteen hoop houses, three propagation greenhouses and over5 0,000 dahlias.

Erin handles crop planning, selection, orders, marketing and design while Aaron manages transportation, grocery logistics, day to day crew direction and anything and everything else that needs doing on the farm.

Over the course of 26 years, Erin and Aaron have grown their farm and their family. They have two sons and a daughter: Emmitt (age 19), Cedric (age 16) Beatrice (age 7). The boys both work on the farm alongside the full time crew of 6 and are part of the summer crew that can swell to 15+. Bea is in charge of reminding her parents to take a break already!

Rain Drop Farms cultivates their flowers using sustainable practices, and believe that as stewards of the land, they have a responsibility to nurture the plants and animals on their property. As growers and parents, Erin and Aaron have a deep respect for the beautiful place they call home and want to pass that along to their children.

Growing Practices

Rain Drop Farms cultivates their flowers using sustainable practices, and believe that as stewards of the land, they have a responsibility to nurture the plants and animals on their property. As growers and parents, Erin and Aaron have a deep respect for the beautiful place they call home and want to pass that along to their children.