Local chefs host fundraiser for duck farm employees

Chefs across Long Island will come together Friday, Feb. 28, for a special fundraiser — that already sold out – to help employees of Crescent Duck Farm following a January outbreak of bird flu that dealt a major blow to the long-standing business.

“Flock Together: Local Chefs’ Tribute to Crescent Duck Farm” will be held at Tellers Next Door (599 Main St., Islip) from 6 to 8 p.m. and will feature food stations, local cocktails and wines, an auction and donation opportunities, with proceeds going directly to Crescent Duck Farm’s displaced workers. 

The event is being spearheaded by chef Francis Derby of Shands General (67 W. Main St., Patchogue) and Michael Bohlsen, who runs the Bohlsen Restaurant Group, which includes Tellers Next Door. Mr. Derby and Mr. Bohlsen, both of whom have prominently featured Crescent duck on their menus, wanted to help in any way they could.

Mr. Derby, a seasoned chef who grew up on Long Island, was shocked to find that Crescent Duck Farm had gone through such a massive loss.

“I have duck on all my menus,” said Mr. Derby. “I found out because I walked [into work] one day and saw two cases of duck there that were not from Long Island. I said, ‘What is this? We don’t use this!’ This is horrible!”

After learning about the outbreak at Crescent Duck Farm, Mr. Derby reached out to his friend Mr. Bohlsen to discuss how they could assist owner Doug Corwin in relief efforts for the farm..

“Doug had [initially] rebuffed our efforts to raise money for him, but said he would really love help with his employees who had been laid off,” said Mr. Bohlsen. “He’s a very selfless guy and is interested in helping his people.”

Mr. Bohlsen and Mr. Derby quickly put out a call to any chefs who would be interested in participating in a fundraiser and the response was swift. Chefs from all over the island, including North Fork Table & Inn chef Berenice de Araujo, Ryan Hardy from Delicious Hospitality Group and Shelter Island chef Armond Joseph of Léon 1909 will be there, as well as chefs from other popular restaurants including Prime in Huntington and Stone Creek Inn in East Quogue.

Local cocktails will be provided by Montauk Brewing Co., Wölffer Estate Vineyard and Better Man Distilling Co.

Crescent Duck Farm, which opened in 1908, was forced to cull 99,000 ducks in January following a dangerous outbreak of H5N1 bird flu. About 50 members of the farm’s workforce were laid off.

“This isn’t just about our farm; it’s about preserving the hardworking farmers behind what we’ve built here in Aquebogue,” said Mr. Corwin. “We are entirely overwhelmed by the support from our community and these incredible chefs.”

Mr. Bohlsen says that they will also set up a GoFundMe for the fundraiser, and that he’s very heartened by the camaraderie that he’s seen among the participating chefs and restaurants.

“There’s a ‘rising tide lifts all ships’ mentality. It’s certainly shaking hands and helping each other out,” he said.

The incident was also personal for Mr. Derby, whose family owned the former Gallo Duck Farm in Patchogue.

“Doug knows my grandfather,” he said. “It’s a little close to home for me … there was a time on Long Island where there was a half roasted duckling on every menu. That was the norm if you had a restaurant, whether it was a pub, a fine dining restaurant or a steakhouse. I would hope with something like this, we can raise awareness so that when they’re ready to get going again, we all have duck on our menus all the time.”