ownership and company profile

Hudson Valley Foie Gras (HVFG) – Ferndale, NY: This company is privately held, operating as an LLC. It was founded in 1990 by Michael A. Ginor and Izzy Yanay, who together pioneered U.S. foie gras farming[14]. Ginor (a chef-entrepreneur) and Yanay (who had foie gras experience in Israel) introduced modern French duck gavage techniques to the U.S. They built HVFG into the nation’s largest foie gras producer, often described as the “premier” or most recognized foie gras brand in America[41][42]. HVFG remains a private, family-involved business – Ginor and Yanay remained co-owners and operators for decades (Michael Ginor continued as president until his sudden passing in late 2022). Today, the company’s ownership presumably resides with the Ginor family estate and remaining partners/executives (such as Izzy Yanay). HVFG is integrated with Hudson Valley Duck Farm (sometimes marketed under “Hudson Valley Farms”), which handles duck breeding, and a sister company “Hudson Valley Foie Gras & Duck Products” for distribution[43]. The enterprise sits on over 200 acres in Sullivan County[27], including breeding barns, open grow-out barns, and processing facilities. Over the years, HVFG has expanded product lines (duck meat cuts, charcuterie, even kosher-certified foie gras briefly in 2017[44][45]) and has about 200–300 employees at its Ferndale farm (many of them immigrants from Eastern Europe and Latin America, reflecting the labor-intensive work)[18][46]. The company is not publicly traded and thus reports no public financial statements. La Belle Farm – Sullivan County, NY: La Belle is a 40-acre family-run farm established in 1999 by the Saravia family, immigrants from El Salvador[15][47]. Sergio Saravia serves as President and the public face of the company, alongside multiple generations of his family involved in operations. La Belle Farm is also privately held, with ownership staying within the founding family. Because it’s smaller in scale, La Belle prides itself on a more boutique approach – the farm developed a “unique process” with a special Moulard duck breed that purportedly yields foie gras with superior taste and less fat rendered during cooking[19]. All products are processed in-house under USDA inspection, and La Belle grows much of its own corn and soy feed on local land to control quality[48]. The company has fewer employees (on the order of 100–150 staff), many of whom are also local or family friends. To reach customers beyond wholesale, the Saravias created Bella Bella Gourmet Foods, a distribution and e-commerce arm (based in Connecticut) that sells La Belle’s foie gras and duck products directly to restaurants and consumers[49][38]. La Belle remains private and does not disclose financials, but as noted earlier its revenue is around one-third of HVFG’s. The Saravia family’s deep involvement and multi-generational stewardship mean decision-making is very hands-on, with a focus on long-term sustainability of the farm. Both La Belle and Hudson Valley have aligned interests (they often collaborate on lobbying/legal issues as seen in joint lawsuits against NYC[16][8]), yet they remain competitive in the marketplace.