Loofahs at Windcrest Farm

Saturday's class in Monroe is full of information about this interesting plant and its fruit

Area residents and chefs know that if they need a farmer to grow an unusual sort of produce or fruit, Mary Roberts is a likely candidate. Roberts owns Windcrest Farm, a 14-acre USDA-certified-organic farm just south of downtown Monroe. She likes to experiment.

This past May, Roberts planted four loofah seeds. Many people are familiar with loofah sponges, but they often don't know that the sponges originate from fruits on a plant. Out of everything Roberts grew on the farm this season, the loofahs amazed the most visitors.

"The most common reaction was, 'Loofah sponges? I thought those came from the ocean,'" Roberts says.

The loofah plant is a vine similar to a cucumber and is a member of the gourd family. Roberts' four loofah plants climbed and exceeded her 14-foot trellis. The plants produce yellow flowers, which were a favorite of Roberts' honeybees. Her four plants produced 50 to 60 fruits. In some Asian cultures, they eat the young fruits, Roberts says, but that's less common here in the United States.

Roberts harvested the fruits right before the first frost. She dried them slightly, pulled off the skin, saved the seeds, and washed the fibrous skeleton that remained. Many of the loofah sponges found in stores have been bleached. If Roberts' has discolored sponges, she uses hydrogen peroxide to lighten the color, in keeping with her organic standards. She then leaves the sponges in the greenhouse to dry completely.

This Saturday (November 22) from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., the Learn & Grow Class on the farm is all about loofahs. Roberts will have seeds and plants for those who want to try growing their own loofahs next season. She'll explain the plant and the process. Then she'll help the attendees make soap and embed pieces of loofah sponge into the soap. To register for the class ($25), click here.