The dead of winter is still a busy time for many animal farmers, and a duck farm is no exception.

Meet John Fazio, a small-scale duck farmer in Modena, New York, 80 miles outside of New York City. John started working with ducks over a year ago after being encouraged into it by NYC chefs who believed in his farming methods. I found him because I was interested in discovering where good local duck comes from – ducks that aren’t raised on large commercial farms. Ducks that come fresh, unfrozen with flavor. I met John through word-of-mouth, and in the food business, good word-of-mouth says a lot.

John’s duck farm just happens to supply Savoy, one of the most sustainably focused restaurants in New York City. Savoy is a restaurant I believe in, a restaurant owned by Chef Peter Hoffman, considered the “Godfather of the NYC Greenmarket” and a spokesperson for the local, sustainable food movement.

So come see for yourself where good ducks come from, and learn why John takes so much pride in his product. And stay tuned for Part II, where we’ll show you how Savoy prepares locally raised duck for its customers. Thanks for watching food. curated.

** To taste Fazio’s special cross breed of a Pekin and Normandy duck, you can visit Savoy or Marlow & Sons restaurants, or purchase whole duck at Marlow & Daughters in Brooklyn. **