(upbeat music) ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ - Welcome to "A Shot of Ag."

I'm your host, Rob Sharkey.

Tragedies, they affect everybody.

Nobody's immune, but it's what you do with that tragedy that really guides the rest of your life.

Well, today we're gonna talk with Stephanie and Kenny Schwengel from Shelbyville, Illinois.

How you guys doing?

- Good.

- Good.

- You guys are the owners of No Bad Day Farms.

- Yeah.

- Okay.

- Yes.

- And now, have you guys been farmers forever or has this come later in life?

- This is definitely later in life.

- Yeah.

- So, I was a public educator for 36 years, and Stephanie's a nurse, and still a nurse.

- I'm a nurse, yes.

- [Rob] You you were a teacher?

- Teacher, then a principal, then a superintendent.

- [Rob] What did you teach?

- Sixth grade.

- Oh my gosh.

Holy cow, that is literally the worst grade I would ever want to teach.

- I knew early that I wanted to get up into administration.

- Yeah.

Did you always know you wanted to be a teacher?

- For the most part.

- Yeah.

- My first year of school out of high school, I wanted to be in law enforcement.

- Ah.

- But I guess I just took a different angle, different type of law enforcement.

- Cracking skulls the other way.

- That's right.

- Yeah.

- I mean, was there like a teacher or someone that set that path?

- Actually, it was my sixth grade teacher that kind of sticks in my mind that I guess led me down that field, that direction.

- Yeah.

They're such little brats at that age.

It's like they're almost like kind of growing up, but I mean, I don't know.

And you can't hit 'em anymore, right?

- No, you can't hit them, but you still kind of instill a little bit of fear.

- Yeah.

(all chuckling) And did you always wanna be a nurse?

- I don't, not necessarily.

- Yeah.

- No, it just sort of went that way, let's say.

- [Rob] Yeah.

Did you go to schooling for it?

- Yes, yes.

- Yeah.

Where'd you go for that?

- I went to Parkland there at Champaign.

- Yeah.

- In Champaign, yes.

- How long of drive from Peoria to Shelbyville?

- Two and a half hours, probably.

- Yeah.

- At most.

- [Rob] What's Shelbyville known for?

- Probably mostly the lake, the Corps lake, Lake Shelbyville.

- The Corp Lake?

- Yeah, Corps of Engineer Lake.

- Oh, they build it?

- Yep.

- Yes.

- Is it a dam or something?

- Yeah, there's a dam there.

- There at Shelbyville.

- Back in the 70s, I believe.

- Yeah.

- Early 70s.

- That's all you're known for is just one big dam.

- Pretty much.

I think Abraham Lincoln was there once.

- Yes, was Illinois, right?

- He gave a speech.

- I guess, I don't even know how to start it.

You guys had suffered a horrible tragedy in your life.

Tell me about that.

- Yes.

Well, our 21-year-old son was killed in a car accident.

It'll be nine years in August and it just, you know, upended everything.

Just didn't know what to do with yourself really.

And it just worked out that we just kind of started this little farm.

Christmas, which I know Christmas is really important to everybody.

I mean, it's everybody's favorite time, but it was really Tucker's favorite time and getting a Christmas tree was really special for everybody.

So, we decided to start selling Christmas trees.

And that's kind of what we started doing to kind of work through our grieving, which led into several other things, you know, working in the ground and just that healing process, which still goes on today, but that's how we work through it, I guess.

Is just grieving in the dirt, I guess.

- Did you have this place beforehand?

- No.

- No.

- You bought it after the accident?

- Yes.

- Yes.

- Okay.

- Opportunity close to where we live and it just kind of came about.

So, it seemed like it was meant to be.

- Yeah, it just kind of.

- Like how many years after the accident did you guys decide to start this?

- Two to three.

- We probably bought the property, it was probably two years after, and then started selling Christmas trees a year after that.

We're gonna be on our seventh year this coming Christmas.

So, I guess that would be about right.

- So, with buying this property and, you know, calling it No Bad Day Farms, which your son would say, right?

- Yeah, it's his motto.

- I mean, you knew it was gonna be there, right?

You're going to have to talk about it.

You're gonna have to talk about the reason why.

Ah, were you scared about that?

- I was.

- Yeah.

- [Kenny] Yeah.

- Him probably more than me.

I talk more probably.

I guess it just worked out.

Wasn't necessarily scared.

I think we were just more needed something to do with our minds.

- Yeah.

- So we didn't... - Occupy our time.

- Occupy our time and keep us busy, and he was a pretty big personality.

- Yeah.

- And we had, you know, I think in some ways it helped other folks too.

People come out to the farm and we have a little ornament each year, and there's some that just come to get it, just 'cause it's usually, the truck on our logo was the truck he drove.

- Oh.

- And actually, before that, that's on the coffee mug is why we brought that.

But we used to all pile in that to go get our Christmas tree when we would go cut down a tree.

So, then it became his truck when he was 16.

And then it just kind of became our logo too, but we'll use that as a ornament or utilize the truck in some way and people will come out just to get that.

And I think it's just to continue to remember Tucker so.

- So, two other kids?

- Yes.

- Yes.

- Two daughters, Alex and Daley.

- Okay.

And, you know, as a family decision, was everybody on board?

- Yes.

- Yes.

- Yeah.

- Everybody's a part of the farm.

- Yeah.

- Okay.

- They come up with a lot of ideas and we do most of the work.

- Yeah.

Funny how that works, isn't it?

It's been three years since we lost my son, Ian, in an accident too.

And I just, I don't know, I still struggle bringing him up.

I still struggle talking about it.

- Yeah.

- So, it's just, it's curious to me, you know, you guys making this step.

Now, you really, you're kind of almost forcing yourself into it, because why did you start this farm?

What's the purpose behind it?

And now you are talking about it more often.

Do you find that, that has helped?

- Oh yes, I think so.

- I think it helps.

I don't know that it gets any easier.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- Yeah, that doesn't ever go away, but you just kind of feel like there's just a little more purpose.

- [Kenny] We always bring up funny moments,- - Yes.

- that we remember.

Other people do the same thing.

And I think that helps, but it's still hard.

- Yeah.

You know, and being able to talk about him, you know?

I think is better as opposed to.

I think sometimes folks are a little hesitant, you know?

They don't necessarily wanna hurt your feelings or upset you, but really you wanna talk about your son, or I do anyway.

- Yeah.

- Sometimes it's harder.

- It depends on the day sometimes too.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

What's going on?

Or if you hear a song, or a moment, or a smell, or just anything like that, sometimes can.

- He was a music lover, so songs will come on, you know, the radio or something- - You're out there working.

- and it just brings a memory.

- Yeah.

- Sometimes you stop and cry in the field, and then you get back to work.

- Yeah.

- But it's kind of an all day thing.

- Yeah.

And I don't think people know how to act, you know?

- No.

- If I could make a message out to people that you don't have to say anything.

You know, sometimes people you say something and you're like, you know, that's incredibly rude, you know?

- Yeah.

- And don't compare, you know?

It's like, "Oh, I lost my grandmother 10 years ago," like, okay.

- Right.

- It is what it is.

- She was old.

- Well, that's the thing.

I mean, you expect to lose your grandparents.

You expect at some point you're gonna lose your parents.

- Yes.

- And you say 50/50 chance you're gonna lose a spouse, right?

- Right.

- But you never expect, never expect to lose your kid.

- Right.

- It doesn't.

That's not the order.

- Yeah.

I know you can't compare, but that to me, it hits different so.

- Right.

- Oh, absolutely.

- Yeah.

- Anyway.

All right.

So, with this farm, are you finding that there are people that are coming to it that have also suffered loss?

- Yes.

I think so.

This last year we actually, even did like a butterfly event.

It was kind of twofold.

We didn't want it to seem like you were just coming out there to release a butterfly and grieve, but it was also for kids, something fun for kids to do to release a butterfly.

So, we kind of did a little bit of both with that.

- Right.

- And it was a great event.

We released about 100 butterflies.

- What were they, corn board moths?

- I can't remember what they were called.

- Please say no.

- No, no, no.

- No, no.

I don't remember.

They weren't Monarchs.

- Similar to a Monarch, but not a Monarch.

- Yeah.

- I can't remember what they were called.

- Similar look, but not a mon.

- It doesn't matter.

- Okay.

(all laughing) - But anyway, it was a lot of fun to do that.

But you know, we have a little bit of literature on grief for people and some people were doing it in memory or honor of someone, and then there were just little kids just having a blast running around.

- Sure.

Yeah.

- And that was fun.

- Yeah.

- To get to see them, you know, do that so.

- With your grieving, you know, I'm sure your farm has been part of it, has helped.

I mean, has your faith been part of it?

- Absolutely.

- Yes.

Yeah, I don't know where we'd be without Jesus, that's for sure.

Back to that cliff we would've drove off of.

- Yeah.

- But we try to put a lot of bible verses and things like that on different items that we sell.

- Our honey.

- Yeah.

Our honey, our eggs.

Joy comes in the morning, you know, on our little eggs sticker.

You know, just different little things like that we try to do.

- Yeah.

- And add to it.

- Well, let's talk about your farm.

So, you decided to start it and was it just gonna be Christmas trees to begin with?

- Yes.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

- And you're bringing them in from somewhere else?

- Michigan.

- Michigan.

- Michigan, because they can do it.

- Yes.

- They can grow trees?

- Right.

- Yeah.

- Yes.

We don't have the soil.

- Lots of trees.

- People love the Frasier firs.

And where we live, we don't have the proper soil to grow a Frazier fir, - Or the climate.

- [Rob] Corn, soybeans, yes.

- Yes.

- Yes.

- Christmas trees maybe not much.

- Not so much.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- And then did that evolve from there to raising other things?

- Yes.

We were very energetic in the beginning with vegetables, and we still do grow vegetables.

We have a spring day where we sell a lot of starts with seed that we've grown and then, you know, have our vegetables.

- Like tomato plants, stuff like that?

- Yes.

- Peppers.

- Peppers.

Cucumbers.

- Cucumbers.

- Okay.

- Things like that.

- Then we have our fall day where we grow pumpkins and mums, and then we have some vendors, local vendors come out and a food truck and have an event one day in the fall.

- Kind of like a celebration.

- Are you open every day?

- No.

- Yeah.

- No.

Just special events or if somebody calls, you know, and we have something available, whether it's eggs or who knows what.

- Oh, do y'all have chickens?

- Yes.

- We do.

- Okay.

On purpose?

(all laughing) - And five baby doll sheep.

- Right.

- Oh, can you eat those?

- I hope not.

- Apparently not.

- Apparently not.

- They're more like pets.

They don't really serve a purpose.

- No.

They're just for the children.

When the children come out so.

- Yeah.

They're little aren't they?

- Smaller stature, yeah.

- Do you shrone them or whatever?

Do you take the wool off.

- Yeah.

- Yes.

- Yeah.

Do you use the wool?

- Just we've started this year putting it in the bottom of our trays.

It just kind of helps hold moisture for the plants.

So, we're trying- - Oh, okay.

- to find a way to implement.

- Yeah.

- Using it.

Otherwise it just goes in the compost.

- Yeah.

And just so you know, I mean, technically, you can't eat them.

- Yes.

Yes.

And just don't want to.

- Fair enough.

- They're pretty cute.

- Not even in Stew.

- No.

- But this property, you seem like you are trying to make the most of it.

Tell me about the Airbnb.

- Yes.

- This was another of her ideas.

- [Rob] That you did.

- That we had to follow through on, but it's kind of been researched for a couple of years and we finally just decided to do it.

And it's a 21-foot grain bin we had constructed on the property.

- Oh, it wasn't there already?

- No.

- Never held grain.

- No.

- All right, let me interrupt you, 'cause I'm curious.

Was it deconstructed and then constructed or was it all lifted in one piece?

- Well, it was brand new, so it came in pieces.

- Oh okay, gotcha, new one.

- We considered a used grain bin.

- Yeah.

- I got a little bit concerned about making sure it was water tight and so forth.

- Gotcha.

- And by the time it was gonna take to pick one up and move.

- It's Airbnb, people expect it to leak.

- Yeah, well, that's good.

No, but so it's a 21-foot grain bin and it's completely finished.

It's got a loft with a king size bed, kind of a spiral stairway on the inside going up the side of the grain bin.

It's got a kitchenette and a full bathroom.

- Oh, it does, huh?

- Yeah.

- Okay.

- And we opened up the 1st of May and it's been busy about every weekend.

- Oh, really?

- Yeah.

- Booked to, well, that's fantastic.

- Yeah.

- Were you expecting that?

- No.

- Yeah.

- No, we really weren't.

- No.

We thought being a unique, you know, opportunity like that, that we'd get a number of people.

- Yeah.

- But we just didn't think it would be as busy so soon.

- It's amazing.

You interview people that have Airbnbs, VRBOs, all that, and it's like sheds they have out on our farm that don't even have water, plumbing, - No.

- and that and people still wanna stay there.

- Yeah.

- Cracks me up.

- Yeah.

- Well, that's great.

I mean, are you gonna have a whole fleet of bins?

- Oh, I don't think so.

- I don't know if we'll do that, but we do go down the road and go, "Oh look, there's a condominium.

Look."

- Well, look, if you're booking out one, you might as well have four.

- Sure.

- Yeah.

- Have your own little grain elevator.

- Sounds like we may have an investor here.

- Yeah.

Maybe that's what we need.

(all chuckling) - And you got bees going now too?

- Yes.

- Yep.

- We have three hives of bees.

- [Rob] They sting.

- Yes.

- Yes, they do.

- And we've found we are allergic.

We have an EpiPen.

- Yeah.

We don't go too far without the EpiPen, just in case.

- Yeah.

- Generally, when I interview people that have bees, they're like, "Oh yeah, you get stung.

It's no big deal."

Not you two.

- No, no.

- No.

- It's gonna kill us someday.

- Probably in our best interest to maybe get away from that and just bye honey at the store, but where's the fun in that?

- Do you enjoy it?

The bees?

- Most part.

- Yeah.

Most of the time.

- When you're not getting stung.

- When not getting stung.

- That's right.

Yeah.

- Is there a market for the local honey?

- Oh yes.

- Yes.

- Yeah.

We always run out.

- Really?

- Yeah, we do.

- Well, you need more bees.

- Probably, but it's the stinging part, you know?

- Yeah.

You know how many bees you could fit in a grain bin?

My gosh, you'd have enough honey then.

- Yes.

- Yes, not enough EpiPens though.

- So, if you could do like a stereotypical customer of yours, who would that be?

- Oh, probably just someone from town.

I mean, we get all.

- We get all ages.

We have a group of young girls probably in their mid to late twenties that come to every event we have, and they come as a group.

- Oh, really?

- Yeah.

- And they'll stay for an hour just walking around the farm, looking at the animals,- - Yeah.

- and looking at the flowers and enjoying the event, and then we get, you know, older people, you know?

That elderly type people that'll walk around and wanna see what they can see, and it's just a peaceful place that I think almost everybody enjoys coming out to.

- Nice.

- Yeah.

- Tell me about the Christmas dinner.

- Well, because of our situation, Christmas just really wasn't the same anymore, of course.

And so, we just decided, well, if it's gonna be different then let's just make it different, you know?

Maybe somebody else feels the same way as we do.

You don't necessarily getting together with family the same way, you know, it's not the same for us.

- [Rob] Sure.

- And which I'm sure you understand that.

And so, we just decided we'd have a dinner and anybody is welcome to come.

You don't have to necessarily lost someone, we just say someone missing from your table.

So, whether, you know, maybe someone's in the military or for some reason you're just alone, you know?

Anybody is welcome to... - And there's no expectation.

Just come and have a meal.

- No, just come and eat.

- And nobody has to talk.

You know, there's no program or anything like that.

Just come and eat and leave, if that's what you'd like to do.

- And stay and linger a little bit that's fine too so.

- It says here you guys have lamb chops?

- No.

- No?

- It's generally pretty traditional.

- [Rob] What do you have?

- Usually, the Turkey and dressing or I think ham.

- Ham, yeah.

- Okay.

- No lamb.

- Just for Christmas, do you do Thanksgiving too?

- Just Christmas.

- Okay.

All right.

- Thanksgiving we're trying to get ready for Christmas trees.

- Well, yeah, that's a great point.

Yeah.

That's probably your slam.

- We barely have time to eat turkey.

- So, you guys have ordered out pizza for Thanksgiving.

- Right.

- Right.

- Your two daughters, I mean, you joke about them having any ideas, but they're helping out too?

- Oh yeah.

- Yes.

- Yeah.

One kind of specializes in social media.

The other one kind of specializes in making signs and so forth, but they all contribute, and their husbands, our son-in-laws, they contribute.

- Oh, do you like them?

- For the most part, yeah.

- [Rob] Yeah, I get it.

- They're pretty handy to have around.

- They're good.

- And then the grandkids, the oldest one's five.

Well, we have a granddaughter that's.

- Six.

- Yeah, he turned six.

- He just turned six.

- You better get those right.

- Yes.

- Don't ask me the birthdays, but they're not quite, they're about weed pulling height, but they're not quite there yet.

- Oh.

You just need to crack the whip more.

- That's right.

- Yeah.

(all chuckling) - One of these days we're gonna have a lot of help.

- Yeah.

- Well that's, I mean, that's good.

- Yeah.

- Now, your daughters, do they find it therapeutic?

Does it help them?

- I think so, especially in the beginning.

I think it was just being able to put your mind at work.

You know, it was just kind of keeping your mind busy and wrapping it around something else and, you know, how can we do this or that, you know?

- It was probably more enjoyable before they started having kids.

- Yeah.

When they started having children - Yeah.

Then it was kind of hard.

- And trying to figure out who was gonna watch them, while they were helping us.

- Right.

- We tease a little bit, because we've got one daughter, we always call her the indoor girl, and we have an outdoor girl.

- Oh, we're putting labels.

- Yes.

The one generally is on the inside of, we have a little barn where you would pay for things and she always manages that area and the other girl doesn't want anything to do with that.

And she'll happily- - Anything outdoors.

- haul your tree to your car for you, you know?

So, they're just two different girls, but they bring two different perspectives and help to the farm.

- What is the tree of choice?

- I would say a Frazier.

- Yeah, a Frazier fir.

- Yes.

- That's the shorter?

- Shorter needles.

- Sticky needles.

- They retain their needles longer and beautiful shape.

- They're not prickly though.

Like a Scotch is a shorter those... - What's the ones with the long needles?

- The white pine.

- Those are white pine.

- Yeah.

Okay.

- And there's some folks that really like those too.

- Yeah.

My wife, about six, seven years ago, we've had a rash of the trees falling over.

Now, I blame her for that for the trees she's picking out.

She was blaming me, because I'm the one to set the tree on this stupid stand.

but she gave up.

So, it's the artificial.

- Well, we have the stand for you.

So, ours have a post in the bottom of it, and we drill the bottom of every tree and it fits right on that post and it's straight and never falls over.

- Okay.

Maybe you don't understand what I'm saying.

Artificial tree, I had no idea how much they cost.

- Oh.

- I'm like, "You go."

Yeah, buy one, buy your plastic tree."

And she comes home, I didn't realize we had to take out a loan for it.

- They are expensive.

- Yeah.

- So, that thing's gonna get put up until I'm gone.

And then my grandkids can go buy a tree from your place.

- Okay.

- Yeah.

I can't help you.

I'm not gonna be a customer.

- Many of our customers have multiple trees.

- They've, well, they've got more Christmas spirit than I do.

(all chuckling) - There are folks that put a tree in about every room.

- Well, I mean, it's gotta be somewhat fun, because everybody's in a good mood when they're going to get a tree.

Everybody's in a Christmas spirit right after Thanksgiving and all right, now.

we're gonna do it.

That's gotta be a fun feeling.

- That's probably one of the beautiful things about it, is everybody's happy, everybody's always in a good mood.

I think in the six years that we've done it, only one time that we have somebody that was upset that said we didn't have anything for them.

But other than that, everybody's always happy.

- Do you tell 'em to go pound sand?

Say what are you taught didn't have anything for you?

- Merry Christmas.

- Who goes to a Christmas tree farm and complains.

- Yeah, just one grouchy old guy.

- What's his name?

- Well, we'd never had seen him before, so anyway.

- [Rob] You get his license plate?

- Just pray for him.

For whatever reason they were grouchy.

- And the spring day, what is that?

- That's the day we had that May 10th this year where we just sell all those starts.

- Yeah.

- The tomatoes and cucumbers and peppers.

- Gotcha.

What were you saying before the hippie thing you were doing?

- Oh, yes.

- The microgreens.

- The microgreens.

- We're doing microgreens, because you don't have to weed those or bend over, and you can do 'em indoors.

It's not as hot or difficult.

- Is that like the sprouts and that?

- It's like sprouts.

Yeah.

I don't know, healthier version I guess.

- Yeah, they're very nutritious actually.

- More dense nutritionally.

Put 'em on a salad.

Put 'em on a sandwich.

- Yes.

- I'll stick to bacon.

- Well, they would be good on a bacon and a avocado.

- Bacon and a lamb chop.

- Microgreen sandwich.

- Bacon lamb chop sandwich.

Boy, that sounds fantastic.

- That's microgreens.

(all chuckling) - Well, I want to commend you guys for taking something that most people don't get over.

- Yeah.

- And turning it into something positive.

I think it's important for both of you, but obviously, your two daughters as well.

So, I'm glad that they're involved in that.

If people wanna find out more about your farm, where would they go?

- It's on, well, we have a Facebook page, we have an Instagram page.

It's NoBadDaysFarm.com.

And that's probably the easiest way to track us down.

- Yeah.

Okay.

No TikTok?

- No TikTok.

- We haven't done TikTok.

- Don't you have the daughter with the social media?

You could be dancing around a tree.

- We'll work on that.

- Okay.

All right, get back to me.

- Yeah.

- Stephanie and Kenny Schwengel from Shelbyville No Bad Days Farm.

Again, thank you, guys, for being a good example of overcoming tragedies.

I can't tell you how many people we've been interviewed that didn't.

I mean, it's an unfortunate fact, you know, the loss of a child.

A lot of times is the end of a marriage too.

So, I want to congratulate you guys for navigating that as well too.

You obviously, love each other, love your family, and that's what it's all about.

So, thank you for all that you bring to the community.

- Thank you.

- Thank you.

- Everybody else, we'll catch you next time.

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