Page 52 - SLO Visitors Guide Summer 2024

52 SUMMER 2024 slovisitorsguide.com
Nipomo
Luffa Farm—A rare gem in wine country
We all know that San Luis
Obispo County features
nearly 300 wineries, but one of
its hidden gems The Luffa Farm,
is also a rarity and a must-visit
destination.
Owner Deanne Coon began
growing luffas in the early 1980s
by accident when a college friend
was given some mystery seeds for
a project. Deanne was known for
her green thumb, so she planted the
seeds in her garden. As the mystery
plants grew, neither girl could iden-
tify them, and it quickly became,
“that part of the garden I’ll get to
this weekend” for a few weekends
in a row. As luck would have it,
those extra weekends allowed the
A destination
for ‘adventurous
knowledge-seekers’
plants to dry out. When they were
tearing everything out thinking
they had failed, they heard seeds
rattling in the plants. Out of curios-
ity, they opened one up, and lo and
behold, they discovered luffa!
A squash with a purpose
So, what is a luffa? Many people
think that the luffa (or loofah as
it’s sometimes marketed), grows in
the sea. However, loofa is actually a
squash that’s closely related to the
cucumber and has been a skincare
necessity for thousands of years.
Most luffas sold in the United
States are imported and subjected
to chemical treatments. The luffas
Deanne has been growing in Ni-
pomo since 1999 are a fantastic and
eco-conscious choice.
What started as a hobby grew
into a business. Deanne began
growing luffa to sell to local gift
shops and spas, but “pretty quickly,
word got out around town that the
‘luffa lady’ lived across from the
golf course, and people regularly
tracked her down, knocked on her
door and asked to go scuba diving
for luffas with her,” according to
Brooklynn Gamble, Gift Shop
Manager and Tour Guide. People
began showing
up every day,
and Deanne en-
joyed showing
them the farm.
Her
husband built
the gift shop,
and the farm
has been open
to the public
ever since. The
Luffa Farm grows between twelve
and fifteen thousand luffas each
year. Most are sold in the gift shop
with homemade soaps and bath
products. Guests learn about how
luffas are grown on their free drop-
in tours. The gift shop occasionally
has luffa seeds for sale for those
who want to grow their own.
How does a luffa grow?
Get ready to be patient because
luffas take six to nine months until
they are ready to harvest. Deanne
grows them in pots with string for
support so gravity can help them
grow into a straight luffa. Gamble
explains, “They start out looking
like cucumbers or zucchini growing
out of the back of a flower.” At this
point, they’re ready to eat, but the
magic happens
when left on
the vine. The
luffa fibers
get larger and
denser. The
vine eventu-
ally sucks the
water out of
the gourd
and recycles
it through the
rest of the plant. Gamble continues,
“When it’s completely brown and
crisp, it’s ready to harvest. We cut
it off the vine, whack it to break it
open, and shake the seeds out from
the center. Then we peel the skin
off, rinse it out, and trim it into
whatever size luffa we need.”
Summer and fall are perfect for
visiting The Luffa Farm. Drop-in
tours are offered for groups fewer
than 12 for free. For groups of 12
or more, a reservation is required
along with a $5.00 admission fee
per person.
The Luffa Farm, located at 1457
Willow Road in Nipomo, is open
Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
For more information visit theluf-
fafarm.com, or call (805) 343-0883.
—Karen Lycan
The The
Luffa Farm Luffa Farm
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FREE TOURS FREE TOURS
Wed-Sun 10-4 • No Reservations Needed
Perfect for Group Outings
1457 Willow Rd., Nipomo
805-343-0883 • www.theluffafarm.com
Come!
Explore
our unique
farm, sponges
& gift shop