Shannon’s Farm Tour
There is an element to the countryside that commands one’s attention. The unpredictably of gravel roads requiring careful navigation. Neat rows of corn and soy suspiciously perfect. The overwhelming sight of thick cumulous clouds rolling above and beyond a dense wood like vivacious tides.
In response, I minimize the volume of the music. Before, music was needed for company. Music entertained whilst cruising the busy Interstate. Now, on the backroads, the windows lower in order to plunge my left arm into the humid air. Undulating fingers on a current of wind as I decelerate. I wondering how many miles I would have to travel before passing another person. I wonder what the texture of frilly stalks of corn feel like between fingertips.
Before long, the urge to gulp the country air overwhelms. I edge the vehicle as far to the shoulder as possible. As if the whole scene may change if I do not hurry to appreciate it.
I fumble to unearth the camera. Alone, in the middle of a country road I take a mischievous turn under a blueish sky. Part of me wishing to run, jump and chase the wind through the miles upon miles of farmland. Another part, trying to make good time for my appointment.
In order to push on a mile or two more, I resist the urge.
A pair of darling farm-stands come into view. The first is small, empty and resembling an absurdly elevated chicken coop. A rudimentary box on four legs with a For Sale sign where eggs and secret geocache used to be. What was once appropriate for the eggs offered to Slifer Farm patrons now no longer served the needs of the flourishing business. Slifer Farm had outgrown the homemade stall. The rising encouragement and frequent visits of customers eager to shop local and support farm-stands, helped the family’s decision to expand their shop.
Operating on an honor system, Shannon has grown the business from the tiny egg stand with occasional produce and flowers to a newly climate-controlled (thanks to her handy husband) shop at the front of their property outside of Champaign, Illinois.
Farm-raised honey, eggs, fruit, and vegetables are expected. However, many of Shannon’s wonderful talents are showcased in the shop as well. Her photography adorns the exposed paneled walls. Fresh baked cookies, greeting cards, and her eldest daughters handmade jewelry are available year-round.
Before the season begins, Shannon considers what has previously grown well. She takes into consideration customer feedback, crop rotation needs, and her own personal interests in experimenting with new varieties or plants before putting seed in the ground.
“Gardening doesn’t come naturally to me. I don’t have what you would call a green thumb. Honestly, I feel like a beginner. I don’t think I have overcome many challenges yet but I hope to learn something new every season. If you want to talk chickens, I’m your girl. I know chickens,” Shannon confesses as we stroll through her orchard. Tangled vines of berries and bright red cherries hanging low are too tempting not to sample. The fruit of pawpaw trees lure me in for closer inspection of its chartreuse exterior and large oblong shape.
Shannon contributes her initial desire for the land to her grandfather who, even though she was too young to be a pupil, always kept a large garden. His love of gardening left an impression on her. But so did her mother, who could get almost any plant to thrive.
Over several decades, the curiosity of her four children motivated the family to try their first garden. Starting with a raised bed and then a few more, the children showed interest in cherry tomatoes and experimenting with various things to bring to the kitchen table.
As their four children grew so did their independent explorations about what they grew and raised. A daughter became ecstatic and unrelenting about the possibility of owning chickens. After relocating to a property outside of town, the thought of owning chickens became a reality.
“My daughter is obsessed with chickens. All she wanted for her birthday one year was an incubator and hatching eggs. Originally she wanted to keep breeding them and hatching out babies. We had more eggs than we could use,” Shannon admits.
So the egg stand was born. With every penny earned from an ice cream shop job her daughter earned, she saved for more special breeds for the coop. With every new egg, her child’s interest increased from egg colors to genetics. A new chick would hatch and she’d study the possibility of who the parents could be. Based on the comb or dominate and recessive traits, her daughter quickly grew attached to the chicks. As did the family.
“All of our chickens all have names. They are more than production animals to us. Patty, is our OG and my daughter, Lulu’s favorite. She doesn’t lay eggs but gets to just enjoy life on the farm.”
Although, not all their hens are production breed, very quickly they the family had more eggs than they could use. Once the farm stand was in place Shannon began to utilize the space for surplus produce from the farm.
“Initially we mainly wanted to charge for eggs and offered a pay-what-you-want model for the gooseberries and extra fruit from the land. Customers did not like that. They wanted us to price all of the items in the farm stand which was a challenge for me.”
Most of what is grown on their five-acre farm was previously established but very immature. Now with three adult children and a busy high schooler at home, the family involvement on the chicken farm has shifted. All hands support with infrastructure projects, improvements around the garden, and the occasional farm sitting but the day-to-day grind, belongs solely to Shannon. Under her hand, the chickens, orchard and wildflower meadow thrive.
Q&A
C: What makes you return to the garden each season?
S: Every fall I feel done. It’s like when you have a baby and it hurts really bad but you forget. After a winter rest and next year comes, I want to put a few things in the ground. Before you know it, I’m in it again.
C: The jewel-like shell of the Japanese beetle is all too familiar to me. They show up in my garden for a few weeks to decimate the roses and rhubarb before bidding adieu. How do you keep them at bay?
S: With five acres, you can’t. You have to surrender a part of what grows to them and its usually ok. What I catch, I feed to the chickens. What I found a nuisance the chickens found as a delightful snack.
C: Thinking about this season, what are some of the challenges you are currently contending with?
S: This season, I’m contending with some persistent issues. Pests destroyed several of my tomato, squash, and pepper plants. I’m also dealing with blight and some fungal issues. Because I grow all of my plants organically, it’s more challenging. Managing unpredictable weather conditions and balancing my time effectively between running the farm stand, tending to the orchard, and starting my new cottage baking venture also remain significant challenges. There are still parts of my garden struggling despite my best efforts.
C: What are the greatest joys you have discovered in your garden?
S: One of my greatest joys is planting a tiny seed and watching it grow into a beautiful (and sometimes giant) plant. I also deeply appreciate hearing from customers who genuinely love my produce, especially when they share how meaningful my farm stand is to them.
C: Has gardening been economical for your family? In what ways?
S: Economically, gardening is more of a labor of love than a significant financial benefit. For me, gardening is less about economics and more about passion and community.
C: What life lesson is your garden instructing you in this season?
S: The garden continually reminds me about patience and resilience. Understanding that setbacks happen, but growth and improvement come with time and persistent effort.
C: What is the most exciting plant in your garden?
S: Right now, I’m especially excited about the hardy kiwi in the orchard. It’s been thriving this season and is rapidly taking over the somewhat primitive arbor we built a couple of years ago. Watching it flourish and transform that space has been extremely rewarding.
C: What effects have your garden had on your personal or local community?
S: The garden has allowed me to build meaningful connections with neighbors and customers through the farm stand. I genuinely enjoy interacting with people who stop by, often showing them around my garden and orchard, and visiting the chickens.
C: What factors make you continue to show up or come back to the soil?
S: To put it simply, I love getting my hands dirty!
C: What are two to three of your best tips when it comes to raising chickens?
S: One would be deep litter method. Look into it but basically we add shavings and scraps for the chickens to dig and stir in their coop and shovel out once a year for a compost pile. But their compost cannot be used right away because its too hot. Second would be a “poop board” in the coop. It helps simplify clean up but remember chickens will roost high in rafters and don’t always aim in the right place. Third, we apron hens who are getting mated a lot to avoid the roosters from injuring the hen with an accidental claw.