by Marc Strauss

NORMAL – Charlie Larkin is a good egg. He also knows a good egg when he sees one.

Larkin is the owner of Above Normal Eggs. He’s a sixth generation farmer who began raising hens in his kitchen and now has a flock of more than 80 of them.

Those hens provide his family and the community with delicious farm-fresh, cage-free, non-GMO eggs. He sells them at his farm (Larkin Lane Farms) and at the Downtown Bloomington Farmers Market.

Listen to Marc Strauss’s interview with Charlie Larkin:

But traditional chicken eggs aren’t the only kind he offers.

“My booth (at the farmers market) sells all different kinds of chicken eggs, duck eggs, turkey eggs and guinea fowl eggs,” explained Larkin.

Larkin says the variety of eggs all taste slightly different. Some of those differences are subtle. And so is the nutritional value.

“Duck eggs have more vitamin D and vitamin A,” said Larkin. I’m the only one that sells them at the farmers market and around here.”

Larkin Lane Farms is located on West Northtown Road in Normal. Charlie only sells chicken eggs at the farm and he operates on the honor system. Each morning he sets out a box of eggs and trusts his customers to leave payment, charging five dollars per dozen.