[Girlie]

Ferndale - Marcus Henley, who runs the biggest foie gras farm in the<br><br>
country, fields the calls when the industry gets an explosion of bad<br><br>
press from animal-rights groups - and lately he's been on the winning<br><br>
side.<br><br><br><br>
Three years ago, Hudson Valley Foie Gras seemed to be on the ropes.<br><br>
Animal-rights groups had won a battle in California to phase out foie<br><br>
gras production there. They were targeting New York, which produces<br><br>
the most foie gras in the country. Their best-case scenario: Hudson<br><br>
Valley Foie Gras would be out of business within 10 years.<br><br><br><br>
Today, it's a different story.<br><br><br><br>
The company is bigger than ever. In fact, state tax dollars are<br><br>
helping Hudson Valley Foie Gras expand this year. The company received<br><br>
a $420,000 grant from Empire Development Corp. to add 20 jobs,<br><br>
bringing total employment to 159. This year, they plan to ramp up<br><br>
production from 250,000 ducks to about 325,000 annually.<br><br><br><br>
Nothing has changed about foie gras production. To make it, you insert<br><br>
a foot-long metal tube down a duck's gullet, gorging the animal three<br><br>
times a day for up to four weeks, and fattening the liver. The duck's<br><br>
liver swells to 10 times its size. After the duck is slaughtered, the<br><br>
swollen liver is usually whipped into pâté that sells for more than<br><br>
$50 a pound.<br><br><br><br>
In the United States, only three companies produce foie gras: Hudson<br><br>
Valley, and two smaller companies, Bella Poultry in Ferndale and a<br><br>
company in Sonoma, Calif. There's a national push by animal-rights<br><br>
groups to ban its production. Chicago recently banned the sale of foie<br><br>
gras.<br><br><br><br>
But in New York, legislation to ban foie gras has gone nowhere. Hudson<br><br>
Valley Foie Gras has the support of Town of Liberty, Sullivan County<br><br>
and elected officials in the state Legislature.<br><br><br><br>
--<br><br>
full story:<br><br><a href="http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2006/08/10/news-vwfoiegras-08-10.html" target="_blank">http://www.recordonline.com/archive/...ras-08-10.html</a>

 

[Miabella704]

What won't people eat? Honestly, where do you draw the line?

 

[puppyluv]

I am happy to see the Foi Gras issue as one of the campaigns undertaken by Farm Sancuary. If you want to help to this campaign to try to end the production of Fois Gras, you can access the Farm Sanctuary website at:<br><br><br><br><a href="https://secure.vegsource.com/farmsanc/join/donate_noFG.htm" target="_blank">https://secure.vegsource.com/farmsan...onate_noFG.htm</a>