Easter: A Celebration of Relationships and New Life on our Family Farm

Trey Braswell, a Fourth-Generation Egg Farmer, Shares his Memories at the White House Easter Egg Roll

One of my vivid childhood memories is on the South Lawn of the White House. It was a surprisingly warm spring day and I was pushing a brightly colored egg with a wooden spoon through meticulously manicured green grass. 

It was exciting for our family and hundreds of others to participate in an American Easter tradition dating back to 1878 — the White House Easter Egg Roll! There was certainly a sense of connection and comradery. I remember also feeling proud; my father told me that all the eggs for the event had been donated by egg farmers. The eggs came from farms like ours in Nashville, N.C.

That was years ago, but with the Easter season upon us, I find myself recalling that day on the White House lawn. And I still do so with pride, as I’m now the fourth generation on Braswell Family Farms, continuing our tradition of honoring relationships as we feed Americans across the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic.  

The importance of relationships is close to my heart. Growing up, there really was no separation of “family” and “farm.” We considered employees as family (and still do). Some actually were family, of course, but everyone, related or not, was “Aunt” or “Uncle” to me. I suspect this was always the case, even 76 years ago, when my great-great-uncle J.M. and great-grandad E.G. purchased the water-powered grist mill that started our business. I believe a family atmosphere transcends job titles and responsibilities. And I believe the relationships we’ve forged over the years are what will keep our farm going for future generations.

Ours is a people business. Our goal is to continue to provide the highest quality eggs every day and to make a positive impact on lives. I don’t think there is a better time to reflect on this than spring, particularly Easter. As an egg farmer and a Christian, Easter is incredibly important to me as it is the time we celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the grave.  Spring is a time of resurrection from the death of winter.  Spring brings the excitement of new (and warmer weather!) and it ties my family to American families across the country. 

After all, we love eggs! In fact, nearly 3 billion eggs are eaten during the Easter season each year. And, 64,000 eggs have been donated to this year’s White House Easter Egg Roll from America’s egg farmers for rolling, decorating and EggPops (a hard-boiled egg on a stick). Someday when our young daughters are a bit older, my wife and I hope to take them to a White House Easter Egg Roll.

This year, however, we are more than content to enjoy Easter in our North Carolina backyard at Braswell Family Farms. After all, the joy that comes from decorating or hunting for eggs further connects us as Americans, no matter if these take place on the White House lawn or lawns across the country.

The above photos are from the 2018 White House Easter Egg Roll and were contributed from The Incredible Egg.