A pioneering team driven by innovation and the creation of delicious products
Our mission has always been to democratize duck products, more particularly when it comes to foie gras. Nowadays, foie gras is more widely consumed, while as little as 20 years ago, magret was barely on any restaurants’ menus.
We are true producers. For instance, Emmanuel Nassans was responsible for the birth of the first mulard duckling in Canada in 1997. They were then all imported from Europe.
Our beginnings
Hudson Valley Farms are a subsidiary of Hudson Valley Foie Gras, a company based in Ferndale, in the state of New York. It was founded in 1982 by one of its current owners, Mr. Izzy Yanay, who was formerly producing foie gras in Israel. Back then, fresh foie gras was unfamiliar to North Americans, as it was only shipped from France canned, in low- to mid-range quality.
In Quebec, we employ a French production technique that was imported in 1994 by two producers from the South-West of France, namely Olivier and Emmanuel Nassans. Robert Caswell, our general manager, is the master of cutting, foie gras prep, stripping, splitting, cooking and manufacturing. Our incredible team is supervised by Marcus Henley, a true niche products enthusiast.
The ideal location
Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague, a town of the Haut-Saint-Laurent, in Quebec, is the perfect place for every step of the process: from the raising of our ducks to the distribution of our products. Indeed, the site is equipped with modern and specialized production tools scarcely found in the province. Moreover, since the location is approved by federal authorities, we are known in many different countries.
The region is also home to producers of high quality corn, thanks to its fertile soils and optimal temperature. This aspect is crucial to the production of delicious and good-looking foie gras.
