Meet Wise County’s Luffa Authority

Deb Terrell credits her beloved cat RB with helping set her Wise County farm on its current path.

When Deb and her husband George bought Nature’s Circle, a 14-acre farm in Aurora, in 2000, they thought long and hard about what to do with the acreage: A Christmas tree farm? An alpaca farm? A space to breed bird dogs? The possibilities were endless, but Deb was careful.

“You have to breathe with the land,” Deb says. “You have to figure out what type of operation is best for your land.”

In 2002, two years in, the Terrells planted a small batch of luffa (or loofah), a plant Deb says has myriad uses, from skin exfoliation to sinus treatment to craft-making. Infatuated with the plant’s seemingly magical range and potential, Deb started researching different ways to use and grow the crop, often bringing it inside her home. RB was enamored, too.

Watching RB bat around the plant spurred the idea of making luffa cat toys, which Deb started selling in local shops in 2005. RB recently died at age 17, but her legacy as CEO (Cat Executive Officer) lives on. His playful curiosity inspired Deb to learn more about the plant’s many applications, helping secure the future of her luffa farm.

A Full-Circle Approach

The Terrells take a holistic approach to their farm, deliberately selecting plants and livestock that coexist comfortably, support each other’s growth, and yield materials that can be used together, helping the farm reach toward its goal of producing zero waste. Nature’s Circle is home to bees, which love luffa and pollinate the luffa flowers, and six LaMancha dairy goats, whose milk is combined with luffa to produce gourmet dog treats and soap.

Through her work with Nature’s Circle, Deb has helped create a sense of community among her fellow farmers, artisans, and customers.

Deb and those in her tight-knit community are constantly finding ways to share their products and harvests. It’s common for Deb to prominently display honey from partner Nature’s Nectar LLC on her table at farmers markets. Others in her circle pay the gesture forward, allowing Deb to reach customers in different parts of the region.

Putting in the Work

Before retiring from the corporate world in 2017, Deb pulled double duty, working by day as an operations manager and using any “free time” on the farm. Sometimes, that meant working in the moonlight with a light attached to her baseball cap.

“You do what you have to do,” Deb says. “It’s my passion in life. So, it really isn’t that difficult when it’s your passion.”

Deb has experience in the agriculture industry throughout the U.S, through positions ranging from quality assurance to distribution and even a two-year stint as a commodity grader for the USDA. Throughout the years, she’s learned about different farm operations, which helped her start her own.

A Lifelong Learner

Education is at the heart of what Deb does, both on and off the farm. She likes to refer to her 14-acre farm as an “ag experiment station,” as she often dedicates small areas to trying out different plants and varieties that she thinks might be a good fit for the land. Most recently, she’s experimented with growing a new variety of luffa. (She only grows one variety of the annual at a time to prevent cross-pollination.)

Her other latest interest is moringa, a plant she says could turn out to be a major crop for Texas since it also has a wide range of uses.

She also reads scientific studies about various farming methods and constantly learns from other Wise County farmers and her customers.

Off the farm, Deb can be found sharing her luffa knowledge with local garden clubs and artisan soap makers, as well as speaking at Career Day for regional elementary schools and working with Girl Scout troops. Her goal is simple: to give young Texans an empirical look at what a career in agriculture could look like.

Protecting the Community

Building, embracing, and strengthening community is what Texas Farm Bureau Insurance is all about. Agent Kris Handlon helps Deb Terrell, and other Wise County farmers like her, protect their piece of the community with the Texas AgAdvantage policy. This coverage packages home, liability, farm equipment, and property under one policy. “This is something most of our competitors do not offer,” Handlon says.

Handlon, who’s descended from some of Wise County’s first settlers, relates well to county residents and their varying needs. “I am very proud of Wise County and Texas Farm Bureau, so it brings joy for me to share that with new folks moving into Wise County,” he says.

Deb and George Terrell offer small tours of their Aurora farm by request. Call 940.255.9002 or email naturescircle@ icloud.com. Learn more about our amazing Texas Farm Bureau family here.

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