La Belle Farm

A genuine single 40-acre family duck farm (Saravia family, est. 1999/2000, Catskill foothills) producing crossbred Moulard duck and foie gras, ~182,000 ducks/yr, with its own USDA-inspected plant. It grows its own soy and corn for feed and works with neighbouring Cochecton Mills on an all-natural ration; no antibiotics, flock rotation with pressure-wash/disinfect between cycles. Single-farm + own-feed + own-processing is real vertical traceability. Not exemplary because gavage foie gras production is itself the welfare question a chef must own, and the organic certification does NOT cover it.

Scale

Small-mid: 40-acre farm, ~182,000 ducks/year.

Feed & inputs

Farm grows its own soy and corn; ration formulated with Cochecton Mills; described as all-natural, free of hormones and vaccines. Chicken line is certified organic feed.

Animal welfare

No antibiotics; flock rotation and facility sanitation between cycles. Foie gras is produced by gavage — banned in several jurisdictions and the central welfare objection to this category. No third-party welfare certification located.

Environmental

Nothing substantive found beyond own-feed production.

Transparency

High for a farm this size — ownership, acreage, volume, feed mill partner and plant all published.