Ep 77: From Finance to Foie Gras - Interview with Ross McKnight of Backwater Foie Gras, Part 2

A Meatsmith Harvest

In this episode, we chat with Ross McKnight of Backwater Foie Gras about the practical element of gavage, why gavage isn't force-feeding, breed of duck, feed used, legally selling farm products, prose, and poetry.

Announcements:

• Support our podcast on Patreon! Production of each episode takes hours of work, filming, and editing. Becoming a patron can help us keep our episode quality high and allow us to continue filming. Become a patron today at https://www.patreon.com/meatsmith.
• Our 3-Day Lamb Harvest course is back! We haven't taught this class for five years and are so happy to be able to offer it again, November 17-19th, at our new homestead just outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Our classes make incredible gifts for anyone interested in the whole processing narrative. From the kill to skinning to butchery to cookery, the experience gained at our Lamb class is unparalleled. And all instruction is entirely translatable to any other ruminant harvesting, including goats, deer, elk, beef, etc. Find all the details at FarmsteadMeatsmith.com/product/3-day-complete-lamb-harvest-course/.
• Meatsmith Membership -- a gift that gives all year long!
• More than 45 Harvest Films by Brandon.
• Forum topics are now categorized for easy browsing!
• 60-day free trial available! Use the Newsletter Special option on our sign-up page ad apply the promo code 60daytrial at checkout. Sign-up for Meatsmith Membership at FarmsteadMeatsmith.com/product/membership/.

Topics:

• The practical element of gavage, 1:02
• Gavage is a natural form of agriculture, 13:55
• Muscovy or mallard, 10:40 & 15:05
• How much to feed them, 16:00
• It's not force-feeding, 17:42
• Using whole corn, 21:04
• Write this down and frame it for your kitchen, 22:23
• Why foie gras?, 43:03
• Age of the muscovies, 29:12
• Using milk, 32:49
• Pre--gavage treatment, 34:42
• Meatsmith & Backwater Foie Gras should offer classes together, 45:15
• A PMA (Private Membership Association) as an alternative to selling retail, 46:56
• Millers Organic Farm as a PMA example, 54:36
• The power of bureaucracy, 57:21
• A PMA in every state, 1:04:00
• Food safety regulations are written for industrial-scale, not small farms, 1:06:00
• Food prices at farmers market, 1:07:52
• Culinary ignorance, 1:12:36
• You can make a living farming, 1:17:28
• Swimming with the current that is the natural order, 1:20:39

Links for Episode 77:

• Find Ross McKnight and Backwater Foie Gras on Facebook, Instagram, and BackwaterFoieGras.com.
• Miller's Organic Farm https://www.millersorganicfarm.com
• Charles A. Coulombe https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/150.Charles_A_Coulombe?from_search=true&from_srp=true
• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33.The_Lord_of_the_Rings?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=dgxaP9fdp2&rank=2