About
What makes Wonderfield, wonderful? Here's a glimpse into our history, and who we are.
Originally Banes Grove, this Floral City citrus landmark has flourished into what you now see as Wonderfield Farm & Retreat. The legacy of Banes Grove is an asset to the area and community that we do not intend to diminish but rather to enhance and expand. We are an "agritourism" destination here in Florida - where you have the opportunity to experience our farm either by staying with us onsite, hosting your own retreat, or attending one of our public events.
The team behind Wonderfield Farm & Retreat represents a new breed of land stewards. We are dedicated to preserving the beauty and history of our land while adopting new strategies to enhance the natural systems and steer this once forgotten acreage back into nourishing food production and mindful immersive spaces. We plan for this project to become a “hub” for nature lovers, locavores, permaculture enthusiasts, and travelers seeking a real Florida experience away from the main tourist traps. Our hope is that Wonderfield Farm & Retreat will create lasting memories for our guests that inspire them to work within and appreciate their natural surroundings wherever they might find themselves.
The founders, Mark and Tara Hubbard
Our property is nestled up next to the Flying Eagle Preserve, only minutes from some of Florida’s most famous freshwater springs, and the entire property line is bordered by a gorgeous freshwater canal. Wonderfield is a perfect place to stay and see a side of Florida like never before.
We hope you stay with us, we hope you play with us, and we hope to give you a taste of “Old Florida” – from the abundant and tasty citrus trees peppering the property, to the idyllic cypress swamps.
our values
Our core values define how we live, work, lead, and love. This is who we are, to our core.
Of service to all: In a service-oriented mindset with a deep understanding we are here to serve something greater than ourselves.
Connected: to ourselves, the earth, and spirit with a holistic attitude that permeates beyond Wonderfield.
Heart Led Leaders: A deep faith that our decisions and action now will lead us into the world our hearts know is possible.
Legacy: We protect and preserve natural systems and heritage to create a land legacy for generations to come.
Discernment: led by integrity, always.
Harmonious with nature: We leave things better than how we found them.
our vision
We honor our roots, recognize our past, and look to the future with inspiration of what is possible.
...on the path of regeneration...
As an agritourism business, we have the unique opportunity to work our land from an agriculture perspective, but also reduce the impact necessary for standard, industrial agriculture. Since we also "work" our land by inviting tourists as overnight guests, event hosts, and even host our own in-house events - we have diversified our income potential. This diversification allows us to rely less on yields per acre, profits per acre and gives us the flexibility to perform "experimental agriculture", as we'd like to call it!
"At its core, regenerative agriculture is farming and ranching in harmony with nature." - The NRDC
On the path to being a regenerative farm and retreat space, we plan on continually investing in these alternative practices, and in turn leaving a land legacy for all to come. From our success and experience, we hope to train others how to have successful, regenerative agritourism operations, and potentially branch the Wonderfield vision to other destinations in the future.
Growing up on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, Mark has spent his life growing his family business, Hubbard's Marina. His family has been fishing the Gulf waters since 1928, and this is how he connected with the Old-Florida family, the Banes. In 2016, Howard Banes pleaded with Mark to purchase his old family land, and seeing the opportunity - Mark made it happen. Through this acquisition and shift in lifestyle, Mark has excitedly learned new skills - cattle ranching, growing food, and caring for acreage. Together with his daughter Tara, they have co-developed the land to be a place where others can enjoy the fruits (pun, intended) of the many generations that came before them!
Co-founder
Mark Hubbard
Tara Lynn is an entrepreneur, yoga teacher, and dedicated to understanding and enhancing the human experience. Her family purchased the 66-acres that now comprise “Wonderfield” in 2016 from a family friend and her relationship with the land began about two years later. She co-founded Wonderfield Farm and Grove, inspired by the creation of her first yoga retreat on the property in 2018. Fueled by this inspiration of this retreat, she was able to motivate all members of the project to adopt sustainable agriculture principles, and they soon turned their forgotten acreage into a successful model of “agritourism”: accepting overnight guests, designing immersive event spaces, planting abundant food forests, and so much more has gone into what is now known as Wonderfield Farm and Grove.
Co-founder
Tara Lynn Hubbard
Meet the Team
Stephen Ambrose is an emergent wild card with skin in game B. He identifies as a student and is in a love affair with the Great Mystery. When he isn't stewarding the land you can find him tending the flame, asking the flora how they want to be loved, and tracking Wild Life. He loves the art of storytelling, indigenous systems knowledge, mythology, and seeing how creative he can get chopping wood and carrying water. Depth rather than growth is one of his current driving forces. His curiosity knows no bounds and is seeing to it the cat lives all nine lives fully. Futbol, the beautiful game, was his life for 30 years, in college helping his team win a national title, going on to win two national titles in the Premier Arena Soccer League, then coaching club soccer. He has a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from UTD with a focus in Personal Development and is a NASM certified trainer. One of his near term goals is to facilitate immersions at Wonderfield, so stay tuned!
Property Manager
Stephen Ambrose
Jillian has grown from clean team, to clean team manager, now to our lodging manager! Always showing up to "do the work" with a great attitude, we are absolutely joyed to have her as a part of the Wonderfield "farmily"!
Lodging Manager
Jillian Plauche
Kin to a Coastal Caribbean family legacy, Josh was born and raised in Tampa and has been connecting with Florida wilderness for decades. You may find him swaying in a hammock on the Ichetucknee with a book and a song, wade fishing a mangrove island, or meditating in a ground blind. Word on the rhizosphere is that faith and roots brought him here. He believes completely that cows speak through telepathic hearts, that abundance is our birthright, and that when it comes to life, nothing but reckless wonder will do.
Livestock Manager
Josh lezcano
I am a professional vocal artist with over 16 years of onstage experience and 10 years of recording experience. My voice is most commonly described as “angelic” by listeners. I blend intricate vocal riffs, ethereal soaring melodic lines and soulful delivery. I aim to alchemize feeling into sound waves that soothe the soul and invite listeners into parasympathetic states of relaxation, enjoyment, and groove. I am transformed continually by the medicine of the trees, land, birds, water, and wind and offer myself as a vessel for Mother’s voice to pour through.
Land Steward & Artist-in-Residence
Marissa zechinato
Meet Chandler Jerrico, a Strategic Partner of Wonderfield Farm & Retreat. Bringing a rich background in business and systems development, Chandler is an integral part of our team, assisting in aligning the complex systems of our operations with the fundamental principles of regenerative agriculture and human optimization.
Committed to the ethos of "leaving everything a better than how we found it," Chandler aspires to create inspiring spaces, transformative events, and nurturing environments. The goal? To inspire individuals around the globe to join the movement towards a healthier planet, a healthier society, and a healthier self.
