Today we’d like to introduce you to Tammy Peterson.
Hi Tammy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Hubb’s Farm grew from our family’s agricultural roots and a small idea that gradually became much larger than we first imagined. Our farm is located on a family farm that has been in our family for five generations.
My professional background is in accounting. I earned my accounting degree from North Carolina State University and worked in public accounting and as a corporate controller before returning to the family farm. John’s professional background includes corporate sales, marketing, and operations. Those experiences have been extremely valuable as we have developed and grown Hubb’s Farm.
In 2008, we opened the farm to the public with the goal of creating a place where families could experience agriculture, enjoy the fall season, and make memories together. We named Hubb’s Farm in honor of my father, James Hubbard Butler, who was known as “Hubb.”
What began as a relatively small idea has grown through 19 years of trial and error, listening to our guests, and reinvesting in the farm. Over the years, we have improved our maze and added pumpkin experiences, wagon rides, farm animals, educational field trips, play areas, food operations, special events, and hands-on attractions. Hubb’s Farm did not become what it is through one major decision. It has grown one season, one lesson, and one improvement at a time.
My responsibilities have changed as the farm has grown. I handle many of the business and organizational areas, including accounting, budgeting, pricing, marketing, hiring, school programs, customer communication, technology, and ticketing.
John is heavily involved in the farm’s operations, including the planting and production of the seasonal crops that are part of our agritourism experience. He also oversees construction, equipment, land management, maintenance, and the process of turning many of our ideas into reality. His background in sales, marketing, and corporate operations has also helped guide the development of the business.
We share oversight of our food-service operations and are both very hands-on in the day-to-day operation of the farm. We are at Hubb’s Farm nearly every day it is open, so when visitors come to the farm, there is a good chance they will see one or both of us working alongside our team, helping guests, solving problems, or checking on different areas of the farm.
John and I both participate in planning the future direction of Hubb’s Farm, and our son Luke is beginning to take part in those conversations and decisions as well. Our family, staff, and seasonal employees all play an important role in making each season possible.
Today, Hubb’s Farm welcomes families, school groups, community organizations, and visitors from throughout the region. Even after 19 years, we approach every season knowing there is still more to learn and more we can improve. We are proud of how far the farm has come, but we are also excited about the next generation and the next chapter of our family farm.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
t has definitely not been a smooth road. Agritourism may look fun from the outside, but behind the scenes it is a complicated, weather-dependent business that requires months of preparation for a very short operating season.
Weather is one of our greatest challenges. We can spend months building, hiring, advertising, purchasing supplies, and preparing the property before knowing what the weather will be during our most important weekends. A rainy Saturday in October cannot simply be replaced later. Excessive heat, storms, drought, and wet field conditions can all affect attendance and operations, so we have had to learn how to plan carefully while accepting that some things will always be beyond our control.
Staffing is another major challenge. We hire a large seasonal team, and for many of our younger employees, Hubb’s Farm is their first job. We want to give them a positive experience and help them learn responsibility, but we must also train everyone quickly and provide consistent service during extremely busy days. Finding dependable employees, matching people with the right responsibilities, and coordinating a large team for a short season requires constant attention.
Growth has created challenges as well. Guests expect something new and improved each year, but every new attraction requires money, labor, maintenance, training, safety planning, and staffing. We have had ideas that worked well and others that did not perform the way we expected. Trial and error can be expensive when you are investing your own money, but it has also been one of our best teachers.
Operating a family business adds another layer. During the fall season, the workdays are long, the decisions are constant, and it can be difficult to separate farm life from family life. John and I have different strengths and sometimes different approaches, so we have had to learn how to communicate, divide responsibilities, and trust one another.
The difficult seasons have taught us to be flexible, resourceful, and willing to change direction. We have made mistakes and faced moments when we questioned whether all the work was worth it. However, each challenge has helped us become better operators. Hubb’s Farm was not built through a perfectly executed plan. It was built by continuing to learn, adjust, and move forward.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Hubb’s Farm?
I am a co-owner and operator of Hubb’s Farm, but no single job title fully describes what I do. Like many small-business owners, I wear many hats. My work includes accounting, budgeting, pricing, marketing, hiring, field-trip coordination, customer communication, ticketing systems, website planning, food-service oversight, event development, and planning for future growth.
Our specialty is family agritourism. We combine agriculture, education, entertainment, food, and outdoor recreation to create an experience where families can spend meaningful time together. During our fall season, guests can enjoy the corn maze, pumpkins, farm animals, wagon rides, play areas, food, and hands-on activities. We also host educational field trips that help children connect what they are learning in the classroom with agriculture and the natural world.
Much of what I know has come through 19 years of trial and error. Our knowledge is not based solely on a business plan or industry textbook. It has come from watching how real families move through the farm, listening to teachers and parents, studying attendance and purchasing patterns, working alongside employees, responding to weather, and learning which ideas create lasting value for our guests.
That experience has taught us that the smallest details often have the greatest effect. Parking, signs, restrooms, wait times, employee training, food service, shade, cleanliness, and the way a guest is greeted can be just as important as a major attraction. We try to look at the farm through the eyes of the people visiting it and make improvements every year.
I am especially proud that families return to Hubb’s Farm year after year. Some adults who visited when they were younger are now bringing their own children. I am also proud of the educational experiences we provide and the seasonal employment opportunities we create. For many young people, Hubb’s Farm is their first workplace and their first opportunity to learn customer service, teamwork, and responsibility.
What sets us apart is that Hubb’s Farm is still family-owned, personally operated, and constantly evolving. We are directly involved in the details, from planning and construction to hiring and guest service. We do not assume that what worked last year will automatically be enough this year. After 19 years, we still listen, experiment, make mistakes, and improve.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to us is preserving our family farm while creating something meaningful for the people who visit it. This land has been in our family for five generations, and we understand that we are caretakers of both its history and its future.
We want Hubb’s Farm to be a place where families slow down, spend time together, and create memories they will carry with them. One of the most rewarding things is seeing adults who visited as children return with children of their own. That tells us the farm has become part of their family traditions as well as ours.
It also matters to us that children have opportunities to experience agriculture firsthand. Many children have little connection to where their food comes from or what happens on a working farm. Through our field trips, animals, crops, and hands-on activities, we hope to make agriculture interesting, understandable, and memorable.
Our employees matter too. For many of our seasonal team members, Hubb’s Farm is their first job. We want them to leave with more confidence, a stronger work ethic, and an understanding of customer service, teamwork, and responsibility.
Ultimately, success is not just measured by how many people come through the gates. It is measured by whether families felt welcomed, whether children learned something, whether our employees grew, and whether we are building a business and a family legacy that can continue into the next generation.
Pricing:
- The following prices apply to Hubb’s Farm’s 2026 fall season, which runs from September 19 through November 7, 2026: Weekday general admission purchased online: $17.95 per person Weekday general admission purchased at the gate: $21.00 per person Weekend general admission purchased online: $23.95 per person Weekend general admission purchased at the gate: $27.00 per person 2026 Fall Season Pass: $56.95 per person Children under age 2 are admitted free; guests age 2 and older require admission Seniors age 65 and older and military guests receive $2 off weekend general admission when tickets are purchased online Basic Fall Farm Visits for school groups: $15.95 per student Premium Educational Field Trips: $17.95 per student Gem Dandy Premium Educational Field Trip: $18.95 per student Dates, hours, special-event information, and online tickets are available through the Hubb’s Farm website.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hubbsfarmnc.com
- Instagram: @hubbsfarmnc
- Facebook: @hubbsfarmnc
- Youtube: Hubb’s Farm NC
- Other: info@hubbsfarmnc.com
