At Engrained Brewery, we believe in offering you the freshest, highest quality products we can find locally, and the same holds true for our eggs. 100% of the eggs used in our recipes come directly from Clover Hill Farms in Bloomington, Illinois, just over an hour north of here.
While we love and appreciate all of the local farmers we work with, Clover Hill Farms holds a special place in our hearts. It is currently owned and operated by Annie Schwoerer, cousin-in-law to our founder, Brent Schwoerer. Brent's grandma Evelyn Schwoerer started raising chickens and collecting eggs when she was a young girl, feeding and caring for the chickens that provided eggs and meat for the family. Throughout her life, she collected, cleaned, graded, and candled eggs to be sold in town, and her vocation lasted well into old age.
Annie got involved in the operation initially to help out Grandma Schwoerer, but quickly found that she truly enjoyed it. She expanded the operation, and now sells both eggs and whole chickens to the public. She feeds her chickens with grain grown right on their farm without added hormones or antibiotics. Annie's chickens enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, and are able to free range most of the year as weather allows.
We appreciate Annie's hard work continuing the tradition started by Evelyn Schwoerer. Her legacy has certainly influenced the way we think about food here at Engrained.
Thank you to Annie Schwoerer for giving us an inside view of her farm operations. Check out our interview with Annie in the video below.