Bulldog Berries, a U-pick blueberry farm at 7187 E. Harrys Rd. in Elmwood Township, recently opened for the season and will be open most days through the end of August. Bulldog Berries started in 2012 when the owner, Nick Billings, decided to start his own farm in northern Michigan “on a hope and a prayer.”
Billings sat down on a rocking chair outside his storefront and told the newspaper about his journey from his native Texas to Leelanau County. Bulldog Berries started as a five-acre field in 2012 when Billings was just 26 years old. Today, there are 25 acres of farmland growing 12 varieties of blueberries, and Billings sells to local stores like Hansen Foods, Family Fare supermarkets, and Tom’s Food Market.
Sometime before that, Billings saw himself on the fast track to a stuffy office job. So instead, he decided to take a different path. He began researching farming out of curiosity — wondering if people were even still planting new farms — and over the years, built up a pool of knowledge about how to get a farm started and acquire funding.
“No one in my family has done farming, (but) we had cattle in Texas,” Billings said. “I didn’t go to college for it or anything. To be honest with you, it was selftaught — reading books, YouTube videos, Googling information — and flying by the seat of my pants.”
The Billings family raised cattle in the Houston area, but while Nick was growing up, his father often came to Manistee for work in the summer with the rest of the family. So, when Nick Billings got the idea to start farming, he thought back to teenage memories of the Traverse City area. He soon purchased farmland in Elmwood Township that would eventually be home to Bulldog Berries.
Billings and his wife — then girlfriend — purchased the property while prices were on a low ebb, with the idea that even if his farming business ultimately failed, the value of the land would appreciate. After doing a lot of research and considering other options like apples and cherries, Billings settled on planting blueberries.
This was a risky decision, as Billings says growing blueberries this far north in Michigan was unusual at the time. Moreover, it takes several years for a robust blueberry harvest to come in. Billings says he was interested in growing blueberries in part because its pH levels were naturally lower than average Michigan soil — perfect for growing fruit.
“We’re trying to get the plants to grow, we’re amending the soil to try to get the pH right. Because the blueberries like low pH in the soil,” Billings said. “We got a really, really, sandy, loamy soil here.”
During these uncertain early years, Billings lived out of an RV on the farm for seven months out of the year while his wife continued working in Texas. After blowing out the lines and winterizing, Billings would return to Texas for the winter, where he worked a series of odd jobs.
The name and logo for the business were taken from Billings’s late dog, Bruni. Eventually, Bulldog Berries was established far enough for Billings and his wife to move to northern Michigan full-time — or most of the year, at least.
“We still do like to venture home to Texas in the winter when we can, because neither one of us appreciates the cold very much!” Billings said.
Billings attributes some of the success of his business to luck – buying up the land at the right time, but also recent trends. Billings noted that agrotourism and buying local produce have become much more popular since he started Bulldogs Berry, which has helped bring in more business and interest.
Bulldog Berries opened in mid-July and will remain open throughout August. Their hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays, and they are closed on Monday for maintenance. Visitors can pick their own blueberries or purchase them in packages at the store. They also stock maple syrup grown on the farm and ice cream from Ludington.
