It certainly has been a difficult Summer at Backwater Farmstead.

The foie gras season takes a lot out of us mentally, physically, emotionally. There’s a sudden onset of tremendous activity in the Fall, and the daily obligations continue through the cool months and into Springtime, leaving little time for much more than work, work, work.

As the season winds up, we continue to sell inventory at the Covington Farmers Market and online, but restaurant deliveries cease as fresh duck goes out of stock until the Fall.

We have a reasonable need of rest and recuperation after our harried work to produce Louisiana’s own foie gras - and the only foie gras in the Southeastern U.S. - but that need is never really fulfilled, given the tremendous lack of substantial profitability in small-scale agriculture, so we continue on, tired, through the hot months, finding some way to make ends meet until the next season.

However, things haven’t really worked out for us this Summer in that regard, and we haven’t the capital to kick off another foie gras season with any real force. This has led to some reflection on our part as to whether the production cycle is a sustainable way for us to provide for our family.

Thus far, our discernment has led us to the conclusion that we should scale back and produce a lesser volume of foie gras in conjunction with seeking other work to fill in the gaps.

This isn’t our desire, of course, but there are significant barriers to continuing in our former track, such as market conditions and pricing expectations, as well as national food policy … “politics” being the primary influence that ruins any semblance of a free market in agriculture.

Thus, working hard and producing a desirable product don’t necessarily result in economic stability for local farmers.

That being said, we have no intention of throwing in the towel completely. However, we do intend to respond to this situation in the only way that seems to “make sense” (while being completely unreasonable from a historical perspective): casting the net wider by focussing on online sales to reach a target audience that already appreciates artisanal goods produced with traditional methods.

While we’d prefer to adhere to the ideal (i.e. selling locally that which is raised locally), the sad reality is that there is not a high enough concentration of customers who share that ideal where we reside. Few enough eaters eat from their local farmers, and, while there is plenty of foie gras cooked and served in New-Orleans-metro-area restaurants, most of it is shipped from New York.

If you’re a local regular, have no fear! You’ve made the “short list”, and our products will still be available to you, and we do intend to maintain our presence at the farmers’ market.

If you’re not local, your chances of obtaining such yummies as lobes of foie gras, country pâté, foie gras pâté, duck rillons - among other things - is about to increase.

Thanks, as always, to our loyal customers and friends, and we hope to hear from you soon!