Birchwood Nipomo offers beer garden and community in South San Luis Obispo County
Story by Jonathan LaFerrara
Photography by Robin Osgood
During the Great Depression in 1936, documentary photographer Dorothea Lange captured the famed Migrant Mother with Two Children photo in Nipomo. The woman in the image appears anxious and weary, holding a baby with two more children huddled close and hiding their faces behind their mom. This widely circulated photo came to symbolize the hunger, poverty and hopelessness many Americans faced. It’s one of the most iconic photos in U.S. history, and currently hangs in The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Though unproven, legend has it that the photo’s subject — the migrant mother — would take her children to pray at the pepper tree that still stands at Birchwood Nipomo, a local nursery and beer garden. It’s said that very photo was captured just across the street from the beer garden. Decades later guests continue to come by to see the property’s two 150-year-old pepper trees and experience its history.
Owners Howdy and Cyndi Nunez, a husband-and-wife team, acquired the business in 2016 from George and Barbara Papageorge, who own Nipomo Rexall Drug pharmacy across the street. Howdy and Cyndi didn’t come in with professional experience in gardening, or running their own business, but given the opportunity to purchase the nursery, they jumped. Married with four children, they were, at that point, neck-deep in full-time careers: Cyndi was 35 years into her job as a mortgage lender, tackling 60-hour work weeks, while Howdy worked 12-hour shifts handling operations at Diablo Canyon Power Plant. It was time for a change.
Howdy oversees Birchwood, working six days a week on everything from managing the team, to ordering supplies and working on property improvements. The couple’s son Kyle runs the social media. Though there have been some struggles — from having to shut down twice during COVID, to an increase in competition from Lowe’s and Miner’s Ace Hardware — the beer garden injected new energy into the business.
After the first years of only running Birchwood as a nursery, inspiration hit Howdy when talking to two German neighbors. They raved about the beer gardens found in their homeland. To Howdy and Cyndi, Birchwood’s spacious and breathtaking grounds were the perfect place for such an offering. So in 2020 they upgraded the property’s 2.5 acres of verdant, airy, charming space to include a beer garden with homegrown brands on tap. Options include the fruit forward Cali Squeeze by Firestone Walker Brewing Co., and a brew by There Does Not Exist in San Luis Obispo. Howdy oversees the beer list, taking pride in serving harder-to-find beers, such as ones from Second Chance Beer Co. in San Diego, a company known for its support of local dog rescues.
Danny Sprowls, a regular at Birchwood, appreciates the options. “I love the craft beer selection and the rotating taps that provide an opportunity to try many excellent beers that aren’t available elsewhere,” he says.
What started as a small additional revenue stream for the business is now what keeps the lights on. “The community comes out for the sole purpose of enjoying the beer garden, and while they’re here, they stop in the greenhouse and leave with a plant for their home,” says Cyndi. The greenhouse offers a variety of ready-to-go houseplants as well as unique homeware.
The nursery is where customer Michelle Johnson bought her two Valencia orange trees, which make up an area of her prized backyard that she affectionately calls her “fruit tree forest.” After living in Seattle for the better part of a decade, Michelle’s family of four moved to Nipomo and bought a home, in hopes they’d put down some roots. For the family, Birchwood has not only provided a pleasant shopping experience, but it’s also a retreat for adults to enjoy beer while the kids can run around.
While there is no onsite kitchen, there are enough restaurants and food trucks in the area to feed guests, who then enjoy dining al fresco at picnic tables and underneath patio umbrellas. In this inviting space, special occasions like micheladas on weekends, or chili or mac and cheese cookoffs that are free to both contestants and tasters, help bring the community together.
“I love the outdoor atmosphere, the quaint seating areas that provide some privacy for conversations, and the arrangement of plants give it a garden feel,” says Danny. “I sometimes go by myself as I know many people that frequent ‘the Birch.’ But usually, I go with friends to just enjoy the space and gather with the group.”
And like the migrant mother and so many others who visited Nipomo before her, Michelle finds a sense of comfort within this blend of nature and community. “We’re at peace here,” Michelle says.
