Kennay Farms Distilling uses own local crops, empowers family ‘It’s all done by a member of the family’
Kennay Farms Distilling owners Doris and Rick Kennay post in their Rochelle facility — the largest craft distillery in Illinois.
By Jeff Helfrich For North Central Illinois Ag Mag ROCHELLE — When a Franklin Grove farmer saw a former theater sitting empty in downtown Rochelle a few years back, he didn’t see a glass half empty, he saw one half full. And it was full of homemade spirits. The building presented the perfect opportunity to diversify his farm operation and turn a former hub of downtown activity into the largest craft distillery in Illinois. Before that, growing and selling crops had been a way of life for Rick Kennay.
Alex T. Paschal/ For North Central Illinois Ag Mag
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