If you ask Brooklynn Gamble what she loves most about her job, she won’t skip a beat. The ambient nature sounds. The visitors from all walks of life. The chance to teach people something new and make products that are good for people.
“We don’t have bad days at work,” she says.
Brooklynn is the general manager of The Luffa Farm in Nipomo, a free-admission attraction she first visited as an eleven-year-old. Owned and operated by her childhood best friend’s family, Brooklynn was there to pull weeds and water plants for a little pocket money. What she didn’t know then was that she’d never really leave.
Remembering The Luffa Farm’s Early Days
The Luffa Farm started as the owner, Deanne Coon’s, hobby. She’d been growing luffas since the 1980s, after her friend gave her a “mystery seed.”
By 1999, Deanne sought a way to contribute to the household income while still honoring the slower pace of life she was building. The answer had been growing in her backyard the whole time. But… would anyone even buy luffas?
The farm’s first retail customer was Long’s Drugs in Nipomo, which gave the luffas a display stand right at the front of the store. People loved them—and had absolutely no idea where they came from. Before they knew it, visitors started knocking on Deanne’s door, asking if they could scuba dive with her to pick their own luffa.
They could not, because luffas didn’t come from the ocean. But the curiosity was real, and Deanne recognized it as an invitation to pull back the curtain. She opened the farm to the public in 2000 with a handmade gift shop her husband built on-site.
An Experience Full of Surprises
Brooklynn has led a lot of tours over the years. One thing she’s tracked is how differently people understand luffas depending on their age and background. Older visitors often arrived with one idea of where luffas came from. Millennials came in with another. Those who’d spent time gardening or grown up outside the U.S. often already knew the story.
For example, some international visitors grew up eating luffas when they were young and green—the same way you’d eat a zucchini—and were surprised to learn the dried version had a name and a purpose.
“Customers are always happy to be here,” Brooklynn says, “It’s exciting to get the chance to blow people’s minds.”
That mind-blowing goes well beyond the basics. Tours cover topics like:
- How the plants grow (a six-to-nine-month journey from seed to sponge) and when to harvest them
- The difference between luffas and loofahs (spoiler: the material!)
- All the use cases for luffas, from skin exfoliation to household cleaning
Tours are open to the public four days of the week. Private tours are available for groups of 12 or more at $6 per person*. Duration-wise, you’re looking at anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on how many questions get asked (and there are always questions).
*Note: This information is as of June 2026.
Leave With More Than Fun Facts
The gift shop is stocked entirely with products made on-site. Because everything is made here, every staff member can speak to their unique details and ingredients. Some items you can purchase include:
- Luffas, of course, are a must-grab from the farm’s selection. They’re biodegradable, machine-washable, and long-lasting.
- Soaps and lotions are glycerin-based with a higher glycerin content than mass-produced ones, and made with sustainably sourced palm oil.
- Luffa soaps are designed around the sponge’s own texture and are available in different sizes and levels of scrub.
- Bath bombs are available for those craving a little extra luxury.
- Herbal scent coasters are the farm’s best-kept secret. Set a hot mug on one and it releases natural aromas from real herbs (peppermint, spearmint, rose, and lavender).
The Farm Has Its Fans
It was clear during our chat with Brooklynn that memories are blossoming in every inch of this farm. She’s seen just about everything and shared a few stories that stuck.
There was the time Suzanne Somers’ husband, Alan Hamel, came through with his business partner. They loved the farm so much they tried to buy it from Deanne and relocate—but she didn’t sell.
Then there are the creative luffa uses that the staff keeps learning. Beyond the obvious shower routine, she’s heard of luffas used as filtration systems, painter’s texture tools, and vegetable scrubbers. They actually have a partnership with a chinchilla rescue, where they use luffa scraps as herb and treat dispensers.
Add The Luffa Farm to Your Next Trip
The gift shop is just the beginning of what you’ll take home. Whether it’s a deeper appreciation for gourds or a surprising story about how a chinchilla rescue uses luffas as toys, a visit to The Luffa Farm will become a favorite memory.
Some visitors come solely for the tour, then leave with a luffa and newfound knowledge. Others make The Luffa Farm the first stop on a full Santa Maria Valley day, followed by sipping and swirling on the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail and a barbecue dinner. Consider this attraction as a preview of all the hidden gems this region has to offer.
Ready to visit The Luffa Farm? Start planning your Central Coast getaway by browsing and booking one of Santa Maria Valley’s hotels. Who knows, you might even meet Brooklynn herself.
