Meet Nicole Dewey of Manistee, MI

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Dewey

Hi Nicole, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
May be too long, not sure what the next questions are 🙂

Growing up in West Michigan, I’ve always enjoyed nature and gardening. As a true Gen Xer, I would spend my free time climbing trees, playing in the woods, digging clay from the local creek, and building forts. We wouldn’t go inside until it was dark. With a large imagination and space, the backyard adventures were endless.

The gardening also seemed to be endless. No matter which Grandparent’s house I was at, I remember them having a large garden. I can still smell the fresh summer air and feel the cool dirt between my toes. Alongside my mother in her garden, I would “help” pick green beans; Grandma’s Garden was more of a landscaping/flower/weeding project of love. Grandpa Dennis’ Garden was on the other side of the state in Bellvue, MI. At my strong height of 3 ½ feet, his plants felt like something out of a rainforest. The garden seemed endless; there were tomatoes and cucumbers for days. Going back to that 1/4-acre plot of land today makes that garden feel so much smaller with adult eyes.

I also remember adoring my mother and grandmother’s old gardening/farmhouse/home and garden-type magazines. In an era before Pinterest, I would cut out pictures of flowers, plants, and walkways that caught my eye and make collages of my future garden. Who would have guessed these experiences created my true calling and joy in life some 30-40 years later?

Fast forward to adulting, after earning my bachelor’s degree in business management, I entered the world of Human Resources. Initially enjoying this path, over a decade in corporate America wore on me as a new mother. Much time spent commuting and non-negotiable office hours were becoming too much for our family. With our second daughter on the way, my husband and I decided it was time to quit my full-time job and pursue something I enjoyed and could work from home doing. I worked in direct sales, empowering women about their sexual health for the next 15 years while helping raise our daughters and maintaining/growing our 6-acre dream home.

Pivoting, somersaulting, and pole-vaulting our way through Covid 2020, our lives shifted for the better. My husband worked in the construction industry as a project manager and mainly worked from home as an essential employee. My direct sales business grew exponentially in a new, more virtual direction. At a time when most of our nation was shut down, and people couldn’t even retreat to a state or local park to unwind, we still had our 6-acre oasis to enjoy. In addition to the expansive garden, we had also grown a small vineyard, had a ¾ acre pond stocked with fish and our own private beach (AKA, LOTS OF WORK). Everything we planted on our property was intended to produce beauty (perennial plants and flowers) year after year or food in some form or another.

We truly couldn’t imagine ourselves not being able to experience nature during such stressful and unknown times of our lives. Nature and wooded areas are my true solace. This gave birth to the idea of opening our property to others after the shutdown restrictions of 2020 were lifted. With so many people not wanting to return to hotels, we started a small Airbnb Glamping business on our property, which thrived. We quickly became superhosts with many repeat customers. Most of our guests were from the metro Detroit, Chicago, or Indianapolis area, and we were bringing many new people to our area to enjoy the community as we did. We taught children who visited with their parents how to catch their first fish, and others could experience our gardens or simply enjoy some epic, country-style star gazing. As open-minded people who love and accept all, we also advertised our business as LGBTQ+ friendly. Sadly, too many places are not LGBTQ+ safe, and many guests shared their past horror stories of staying at unfriendly places. Seeing hundreds of people enjoy their private nature oasis when they stayed with us was a true joy.

And then our township happened. Sadly, we also lived in a community that, in this day and age, would publicly try to “pray the gay away.” To make a very long story short, our township sued us for operating a short-term rental business while allowing others to operate openly. Seeing the true colors of our community and the ‘good ole boys club’ semantics led us to what our hearts already knew. We did not want to continue working in our current paths in this city. We love creating amazing experiences for others and teaching about nature and homesteading, and we thrived at it. We put our house up for sale and started our search.

Our new home search led us to a lakeshore community we have always visited and had a great love for: Manistee, Michigan. Here, we came upon 40 acres in an amazing location with a 13-acre young orchard that simply needed someone to work it and grow it to its potential. Now, Dewlicious Farms exists. Located across from the Manistee County Blacker airport and only a mile away from Little River Casino, we couldn’t be happier with our location. We have joined forces with our local Chamber of Commerce and look forward to working with our community to create agritourism in our area.

We specialize in strawberries, apples, peaches, and cut flowers with more planned produce. We want to make fresh, locally grown fruit and vegetables more readily available to those who live here while creating memories and a love for agriculture and growth. In working with our Township zoning committee, we plan to introduce 3 Glamping units to the property to give a true nature farm-stay experience. We plan to work with our local schools to make the farm a teaching farm and open a CSA (community-supported agriculture) for the area.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Heavens, no, see the first question. Sadly, nothing worth having is ever easy. Our growth truly does live outside of our comfort zone. Our obstacles have definitely taught us what we do NOT want or will NOT tolerate in our lives and ultimately have moved us into a better position to succeed. Our experiences with the township in our old community have taught us how to be more proactive and get involved in our community affairs.

From Q1:
Nature and wooded areas are my true solace. This gave birth to the idea of opening our property to others after the shutdown restrictions of 2020 were lifted. With so many people not wanting to return to hotels, we started a small Airbnb Glamping business on our property, which thrived. We quickly became superhosts with many repeat customers. Most of our guests were from the metro Detroit, Chicago, or Indianapolis area, and we brought many new people to our area to enjoy the community as we did. We taught children who visited with their parents how to catch their first fish, and others could experience our gardens or simply enjoy some epic, country-style star gazing. As open-minded people who love and accept all, we also advertised our business as LGBTQ+ friendly. Sadly, too many places are not LGBTQ+ safe, and many guests shared their past horror stories of staying at unfriendly places. Seeing hundreds of people enjoy their private nature oasis when they stayed with us was a true joy.

And then our township happened. Sadly, we also lived in a community that, in this day and age, would publicly try to “pray the gay away.” To make a very long story short, our township sued us for operating a short-term rental business while allowing others to operate openly. Seeing the true colors of our community and the ‘good ole boys club’ semantics led us to what our hearts already knew. We did not want to continue working in our current paths in this city. We love creating amazing experiences for others and teaching about nature and homesteading, and we thrived at it. We put our house up for sale and started our search.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Having a background in HR, marketing, and sales, I have a natural inclination to get along with everyone and be able to relate to nearly all walks of life. My corporate life has led me to my farm life. As backward as it may seem, learning the social skills needed to get along with others in a workforce setting ultimately shapes how you communicate with strangers and people coming to our new business. I am proud of all I have learned and how far my husband and I have come in our 20 years together. We’ve left the chair and desk life to return to working with our hands, literally in the dirt, and teaching others the same.

What matters most to you? Why?
As cliche as it may sound, leaving the world and my family better than it was is my true why. I want our daughters to know the importance of hard work AND standing up for what you believe in. Taking the easy way out and settling is not always the best way. I want others to know why where your food comes from and how it’s grown is important. I want to spark a little joy or inspiration in someone stopping by the orchard or farmstand that allows them that “ah ha” moment to dream and grow for themselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dewliciousfarms24.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/dewliciousfarms24
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567128572735
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@dewliciousfarms