Our Loofah Journey
Loofah Farmer in New Zealand
Hi, I'm Dianne, a boutique loofah grower from Nelson, New Zealand. We (my husband and I) have been growing loofah for eleven years now with a small loofah patch at home and also previously with a larger patch off the property. We also have a small online botanicals business where we grow and sell herbs, flower petals and dried flower stems to other creators that are grown alongside the loofah.
It’s been a heck of a journey over the 11 years, firstly learning how to grow the loofah, then harvesting, processing, drying and storing as there was no-one in New Zealand who grew loofah for sale and only a couple of other boutique growers around the world so it really was a trial and error project. Once I figured out that I could grow enough loofah in my climate and that I could create a business around these amazing sponges, I went and studied horticulture and expanded to a larger loofah patch off the property. There was so much that had to be learnt, tested, created and retested - not only with learning how to grow loofah on a larger scale but alongside that, creating and testing all the other products that can be sold along-side the whole loofah, like the loofah pads and soap. There were no short-cuts or courses I could do to speed up the learning curve, it was just try different things each season, recording each test and reevaluate for the next next season. I already had a background in small business so the later years have been spent refining the sales side with the markets/craft fairs setups, packaging, pricing, marketing, e-commerce and wholesale to retail stores.
We have a relaxed gardening style that celebrates natures imperfections on a smaller section of about 7,500 square feet, where I get to stop and smell the roses (and the lavender) and hang out with the bees.
Dianne (aka The Loofah Lady)
Loofahs are an amazing, intricatly weaved gift from nature that we can use to exfoliate our bodies, scrub our feet, make beautiful art from, use for cleaning all sorts of items around our homes, they can also be used as fillers in the bottom of plant pots to help with the moisture content, they are a regular dietry requirement for Chinchillas to prevent thier teeth from growing too long, they are used in bird toys to provide a natural texture, I have seen them in baby toys too but I would strongly advise against this, plus a slice of loofah can be used as a support for stems in a floral bouquet or to lift soap in the bathroom. As you can see there are many ways that loofah can be used, which means there are many niches that you can explore.
Growing loofah creates a conversation in itself as many people think that loofahs come from the ocean like a sea sponge and are interested to see how you grow them - this is great at craft fairs/markets as you have something completly unique and interesting to talk with passers by about. When I first started at our local market I used to get the same questions where I always gave a similar answer to each time and after a season or two of being there I would hear people explaining to thier friends exactly what I had told them previously about loofah, while they were showing them my photos at the stand and then those people would come over and check them out, love word of mouth marketing!