And then there was one Long Island duck farm: Crescent

Even before the legislation, his family became the first in the industry to work with county engineers to install a wastewater treatment system on the farm, something they had accomplished by World War II.

Regulations began to take their toll on the local industry. By 1963, records show, just 48 farms remained active, with 14, including Crescent Duck Farm, located along Flanders Bay and its tributaries, .

Even more drastic changes occurred in the 1970s, after duck farms were required to install sewage treatment facilities.

“Standards got tighter and tighter as time went on and you either worked, lived and moved forward with the standards, or you perished,” Mr. Corwin said.

“We all had to learn how to become wastewater treatment operators very quickly, or else we didn’t survive,” he said.

Long Island Farm Bureau executive director Joe Gergela estimates that in the past decade only five duck farms have operated on Long Island, as the other slowly shut down, one by one.

Of the final five, Crescent Duck Farm was always the largest, he said.

“No one wants to be the last ranger in town, but they are unique,” Mr. Gergela said. “They have invested many millions throughout the years to stay compliant with the changes regarding environmental protection — and they are pretty self-sufficient.”

The 145-acre farm produces approximately one million ducks annually, which accounts for about 4.5 percent of production nationwide. It is also home to Long Island’s last processing center.

The Aquebogue farm not only raises ducks, but also processes the meat on location and has done processing for Chester Massey & Sons. That farm’s closing translates to a 10 percent loss in Crescent Duck Farm’s processing revenues.

The Corwins harvest and sell every usable part of the bird — from its down feathers, which are sold to the textile and garment industry, to its beak, tongue and feet, which are shipped to select Asian markets. Carcasses are sold to animal feed manufacturers, Mr. Corwin explained.

In 1985, the family also purchased Eastport Feeds, so it could grow its own corn and manage the distribution of feed in an effort to cut down costs.

The duck farm goes through about 230 tons of feed a week, he said.

Mr. Corwin said the loss of Chester Massey & Sons represents more than a cut in revenue for his farm; it marks the end of the camaraderie once shared in the local duck farming industry.

“I am very, very saddened,” Mr. Corwin said. “I went over with my sons and I toured the [Massey] place to see if there was anything we could do to help … what [the DEC wants] them to do, short of a huge chunk of change, it’s not going to happen.”

Mr. Corwin said he hopes his farm can single-handedly sustain the industry and he eventually hopes to pass on the century-old business to his two sons, Blake, 31, and Pierce, 29, who already help run the farm.

“Am I going to die with this being here?” he asked. “I sure hope so.”