BAUGHMAN TWP. ‒ When the Waikem family decided to sell their auto dealership business in 2022, Doug Waikem expected his future to be on an island paradise.

"My dream was, when I retired, to get a place in the Bahamas, spearfish for lunch, watch the sunset on a small sailboat," he said.

But after about a week in the Caribbean, he was bored. So Waikem took inspiration from his childhood on a Perry Township farm and established Nature Valley Farm, 5521 Deerfield Ave. NW, on 53 acres in eastern Wayne County. The property features farmland and a 22-foot-deep, spring-fed lake stocked with rainbow trout and walleye.

"I can putz around at the farm all day and fish, hunt, trap, do everything I did when I was a kid, and introduce my kids to that lifestyle," Waikem said.

He realized farming alone wouldn't be a lucrative venture, so Waikem opened three short-term rentals last year. A restored farmhouse, a home in the old Sherwood Forest, and a family cottage formerly owned by the Smucker family — which has pickleball, tennis and bocce ball courts — are booked throughout the summer.

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"It's a combination of (what) everybody wants to kind of get away but not have to go too far," Waikem said. "So, we have a lot of Cleveland, Columbus, Pittsburgh people that come here."

Sherwood Forest is home to trees "that were pre-civilized Ohio," Waikem said. By removing non-native species and meeting other requirements, he had it designated as a nature reserve. Waikem also leased farmland back to the original farmers for half the price "to help them out with the cost of fuel and fertilizers going up and what have you."

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The main attraction is Nature Valley Lodge. The event and wedding venue hosted a private soft opening and staged photoshoot on July 17 and will begin hosting weddings and receptions in August.

Waikem fashioned it after the National Park lodges he frequented when traveling for business conventions. The process took about three years, mainly to treat and prepare the wood frame.

Douglas fir trees in Oregon were cut and air-dried, then shipped to Holmes County for woodworking. The Hartville Barn Boys and Amish craftsmen erected the lodge in four days. The exterior siding is durable Canadian hemlock.

"This place was built and engineered to last 300 years," Waikem said.

He also worked with Fairlawn-based FMD Architects — which has a project portfolio that includes Gervasi Vineyard — and Sheetz Construction to make the lodge and farm a reality.

The Nature Valley Lodge is a new wedding and event venue in eastern Wayne County.

The climate-controlled lodge includes a kitchen and rustic decorations, such as tractor seat stools and bear traps on walls. It can accommodate about 300 people indoors and up to 360 outdoors, where there is a ceremony area.

"We're trying to cater to people who like the outdoors, so that if they do come for a wedding, maybe they stay five days," Waikem said.

It's an investment he hopes will stand the test of time and the rise of artificial intelligence to one day be passed on to his four children. His daughter, Jordan Waikem, is working as the accommodations and operations director at the venue.

"What we hope to offer is a more cozy experience than just shoving your friends and family in a hotel, which is where the Airbnbs come into play," she said. "I handle most of those so that we can offer the experience without a social event happening at the farm."

Doug Waikem and his daughter, Jordan Waikem, talk about the Nature Valley Lodge, a new wedding and event venue in eastern Wayne County.

Jordan Waikem will also handle community events, which she anticipates including drive-in or dive-in (on the lake) movies and wellness retreats.

"The goal is to have other types of social events to just give people the opportunity to exist outside of their regular life," she said.

Deanna Townsend is the events director in charge of booking and coordinating weddings and events at the lodge. She can be reached at 330-737-1337 or [email protected].

The Farmhouse can accommodate up to six guests with nightly rates around $330, which include cleaning and service fees and vary based on dates. The forest home can accommodate 12 people with nightly rates in the $400 range during weekdays and about $100 more on weekends. The Smucker cottage accommodates 10 guests with nightly rates typically ranging from $400 to $650.

All the rentals require a two-night minimum stay and allow pets.

Reach Kelly at 330-580-8323 or [email protected].