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Katie Figura
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Katie Figura
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Katie Figura
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Katie Figura
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Katie Figura
Work demands. Family woes. Health issues. The stresses of daily life. How can we deal with these and live our best lives? Daunting questions — but Lizzie Tucker, owner and proprietor of The Farm in Castalian Springs, Tennessee, offers a compelling answer: Come and stay with her.
Together with her team, she runs a 200-acre wellness retreat center that offers a wide range of integrative modalities to address those stressors. Here, you set goals to be well and feel good.
At The Farm, each guest can customize an experience tailored to their needs. Group and individual workouts? Check. Personalized coaching? Check. Swimming pool? Hot tub? Sauna? Check, check, and check. How about yoga classes or massage therapy? Yes. Delicious, healthful meals and snacks designed to fit your dietary needs and calorie intake? Indeed — guided by a chef and a registered dietitian.
And here’s a key part that you won’t find anywhere in the city: a sustainable working farm experience. There are rolling pastures framed by mountainous ridges, fresh air, and wooded spaces — the abundant beauty and peace of nature. The Farm is a step out of time and place; from Nashville, the drive takes under an hour. Here, you can unplug, restore, and reset while experiencing authentic rural life.
Tucker discovered this place — which she calls magical — in 2022 during a leave from her high-pressure corporate HR role. Overwhelmed by work and pandemic weight gain, she found the Castalian Springs compound — then called The Fit Farm — which appeared to be just a fitness boot camp for adults but proved much more.
“After two visits, I felt I had found that intangible something that was missing in my life. I felt so seen and supported, not only by the staff but by the other guests. It was a community. It was a safe place. People are only able to transform themselves when they feel safe.”
And transform, she did. From 2022 to 2024, Tucker went every other month. She lost more than 75 pounds and gained strength, confidence, and purpose. She was dismayed in late 2024 when she learned that The Fit Farm was shuttering.
“Yes, the place had issues. And I thought, ‘Can I save it?’” Tucker recalls. “I contacted Chris, the owner, to see if we could work something out.”
In April 2025, Tucker reopened the property as The Farm, shifting from a boot camp model to whole-person wellness. Notably, the main lodge and cabins feature simple décor, luxury mattresses, and high-end linens and bedding. The dining experience showcases elevated food quality with fresh, seasonal ingredients, including produce and eggs from T he Farm’s gardens and free-range chickens.
What truly sets The Farm apart is its wide range of wellness offerings. In addition to cardio, weight training, and boxing, guests can join sound baths, a drumming circle, and guided hikes in Bledsoe Creek State Park. Unique assessments — like a Styku body scan for body composition and metabolism analysis — allow bespoke program design. With guidance from accredited trainers, you set your goals — whether that means an intensive workout regimen, exploring the property on foot, playing pickleball, or unwinding in the movie room.
The Farm’s mission: Find what works for you. Your safety, comfort, and happiness take top priority, and the sense of community — strengthened under Tucker’s leadership — remains central to the experience.
She says, “My team, my guests — everyone has a seat at the table. We all dine together. It fosters our connections with others, with ourselves. We are all on this journey together.”
There are several ways to partake in The Farm’s magic. For first-timers, Tucker recommends a weeklong stay to find your footing and make progress in your wellness journey. She notes that some guests carve out entire weeks to focus on self-care goals. But the “Weekend Warrior” stay — Thursday through Sunday — is popular, offering what Tucker describes as “a jolt of wellness.”
If you are a Tennessee resident, you can also purchase a day pass for $125, which provides access from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to all amenities, including lunch and an afternoon snack. Tucker is also committed to making The Farm accessible to as many people as possible, regardless of income level. She embraces the idea of a level playing field, where a New York executive might sit down beside an elementary school teacher. She offers needs-based alumni scholarships and works with individuals to make their stay possible.
“My goal is that The Farm will continue forever,” she says. “Places like this are rare in today’s world. Of course, I love this property. But it is the people who come here, who work here, and who all work together — that I love the most.”
The Farm; thefarmtn.com
732 Rock Springs Road, Castalian Springs, TN 37031 615-398-8448