Latest news with #Durand
Otago Daily Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
South Island snail farm a first for NZ
By Katie Todd of RNZ Two French expats - and one disappointing plate of tinned escargots - are the inspiration behind a new commercial snail farm in Queenstown. Otago Escargots plans to start supplying local, high-end restaurants with fresh, locally raised snails in about a year's time. The idea began when Queenstown hospitality worker Louis Parent, a lifelong fan of escargots, went to a restaurant in Dunedin on a rainy night. He said he ordered a serving of imported snails that didn't quite hit the mark. 'I wasn't really happy about the quality, the texture and the taste of them,' he said. 'And when I got out it was raining. I saw a few snails in the park and I was like, 'Why don't people farm them here in New Zealand?'' The idea struck a chord with his friend Charles Durand, a fellow French expat and hospitality worker. The duo set to work on a plot of land in Gibbston, which now houses 50,000 snails. Otago Escargots' goal was to start supplying top-end Queenstown restaurants with fresh, locally raised escargots by May next year, should their licensing from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and paperwork go to plan. Starting out was easy, Durand said - the pair simply collected "a couple of hundred" snails from the wild - what's known as petit gris in France, or the common garden snail in New Zealand, and began breeding them. Convincing their friends they had decided to become snail farmers was another story. 'Everyone was like laughing at us when we [said] we are snail farmers. A lot of people were saying we're so French,' he said. Durand and Parent built a garden full of wooden structures for the snails to hide under during the day, and established a breeding room and a hibernation room where the snails are hunkered down until November. Despite their slow pace, Durand and Parent said the snails kept them busy in the warmer months, munching through a special limestone-cereal blend and requiring regular cleaning and watering. 'Right now we're working on the side as well, so we've got two full-time jobs,' Durand said. Parent conceded snail farming had been a big learning curve, with a few literal missteps. "We try to do our best to avoid all the snails on the ground, but there's always a little accident every now and then. Luckily they can rebuild their shell," he said. Some of the snails were faster than others; some were bigger and more energetic, Parent said. 'We started to name them at the beginning, and then after fifty we were like... ah, alright." Otago Escargots planned to scale up to 200,000 snails by next May, ready to debut on local menus. Eventually, Durand and Parent planned to offer an on-farm tasting experience with wine pairings, and even had ideas to expand into snail mucin cosmetics. University of Waikato senior history lecturer Garritt Van Dyk, who has carried out extensive research into the history of snails as food, believed there was definitely a place for escargots in modern Kiwi cuisine for sustainability-focused and adventurous eaters. "I think that people are starting to get over their aversion to eating certain types of things. As people become more adventurous and venture outside their regular food traditions, people are starting to experiment. "There was a time when people wouldn't have thought about eating sushi because they would have been like, 'wait a minute I'm not eating raw fish'. There are some people who will never eat an oyster... because it's still alive," he said. "But there are other people that are looking at sustainable meat alternatives, and they look at things like snails and say, 'well, there's something that's actually routinely thought of as a garden pest, but in fact, you can farm it sustainably, ethically and economically, and you can produce meat that is high in iron, high in amino acids... and you can use every different part of it." While Durand and Parent are the only snail farmers in New Zealand, they're not alone in pushing the protein envelope. In Dunedin, Otago Locusts founder Malcolm Diack believed more people should definitely give eating creepy crawlies a go. However, he conceded it was tough work as a non-conventional farmer to get information - or complete compliance paperwork. "As far as getting certified, it took quite a few months to go to MPI and say 'this is this is what I want to do, which category do we fall in so we can get these certifications and and make sure we fit in?' Our square peg was sort of rammed into a round hole and we were put in [a category] with a few other different foods. "But it's fun... if you've got the right attitude and and you like animals and insects and creepy crawlies and things. It's a good one at parties or social events telling people that this is what you do, which is always different from what anyone else there is doing."
Otago Daily Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Queenstown snail farm a first
By Katie Todd of RNZ Two French expats - and one disappointing plate of tinned escargots - are the inspiration behind a new commercial snail farm in Queenstown. Otago Escargots plans to start supplying local, high-end restaurants with fresh, locally raised snails in about a year's time. The idea began when Queenstown hospitality worker Louis Parent, a lifelong fan of escargots, went to a restaurant in Dunedin on a rainy night. He said he ordered a serving of imported snails that didn't quite hit the mark. 'I wasn't really happy about the quality, the texture and the taste of them,' he said. 'And when I got out it was raining. I saw a few snails in the park and I was like, 'Why don't people farm them here in New Zealand?'' The idea struck a chord with his friend Charles Durand, a fellow French expat and hospitality worker. The duo set to work on a plot of land in Gibbston, which now houses 50,000 snails. Otago Escargots' goal was to start supplying top-end Queenstown restaurants with fresh, locally raised escargots by May next year, should their licensing from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and paperwork go to plan. Starting out was easy, Durand said - the pair simply collected "a couple of hundred" snails from the wild - what's known as petit gris in France, or the common garden snail in New Zealand, and began breeding them. He said convincing their friends they had decided to become snail farmers was another story. 'Everyone was like laughing at us when we [said] we are snail farmers. A lot of people were saying we're so French,' he said. Durand and Parent built a garden full of wooden structures for the snails to hide under during the day, and established a breeding room and a hibernation room where the snails are currently hunkered down until November. Despite their slow pace, Durand and Parent said the snails kept them busy in the warmer months, munching through a special limestone-cereal blend and requiring regular cleaning and watering. 'Right now we're working on the side as well, so we've got two full-time jobs,' Durand said. Parent conceded snail farming had been a big learning curve, with a few literal missteps. "We try to do our best to avoid all the snails on the ground, but there's always a little accident every now and then. Luckily they can rebuild their shell," he said. Some of the snails were faster than others; some were bigger and more energetic, Parent said. 'We started to name them at the beginning, and then after fifty we were like... ah, alright,' he said. Otago Escargots planned to scale up to 200,000 snails by next May, ready to debut on local menus. Eventually, Durand and Parent planned to offer an on-farm tasting experience with wine pairings, and even had ideas to expand into snail mucin cosmetics. University of Waikato senior history lecturer Garritt Van Dyk, who has carried out extensive research into the history of snails as food, believed there was definitely a place for escargots in modern Kiwi cuisine, for both sustainability-focused and adventurous eaters. "I think that people are starting to get over their aversion to eating certain types of things. As people become more adventurous and venture outside their regular food traditions, people are starting to experiment. "There was a time when people wouldn't have thought about eating sushi because they would have been like, 'wait a minute I'm not eating raw fish'. There are some people who will never eat an oyster... because it's still alive," he said. "But there are other people that are looking at sustainable meat alternatives, and they look at things like snails and say, 'well, there's something that's actually routinely thought of as a garden pest, but in fact, you can farm it sustainably, ethically and economically, and you can produce meat that is high in iron, high in amino acids... and you can use every different part of it." While Durand and Parent are the only snail farmers in New Zealand, they're not alone in pushing the protein envelope. In Dunedin, Otago Locusts founder Malcolm Diack believed more people should definitely give eating creepy crawlies a go. However, he conceded it was tough work as a non-conventional farmer to get information - or complete compliance paperwork. "As far as getting certified, it took quite a few months to go to MPI and say 'this is this is what I want to do, which category do we fall in so we can get these certifications and and make sure we fit in?' Our square peg was sort of rammed into a round hole and we were put in [a category] with a few other different foods. "But it's a fun if you, if you've got the right attitude and and you like animals and insects and creepy crawlies and things. It's a good one at parties or social events telling people that this is what you do, which is always different from what anyone else there is doing."
India Gazette
25-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Asia's oldest football tournament now in five states as Imphal makes a comeback
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 25 (ANI): Asia's oldest football tournament, the Durand Cup, will be back with its 134th edition and for the first time in its storied history, be hosted in as many as five states with Manipur's capital Imphal, making a comeback after a two-year gap. The Durand Cup Organising Committee also announced the dates for this year's tournament to be between July 22- August 23, as per a release from Durand Cup Media. Kokrajhar in Assam will extend their status as Durand Cup hosts for the third consecutive year while Jamshedpur in Jharkhand and Shillong in Meghalaya were added as hosts last year. The century-old tournament shifted its home base to Kolkata - the Mecca of Indian Football, and the capital of West Bengal, from Delhi back in 2019, and, will also continue to hold that status for a sixth consecutive edition. Since its transition to the East, the Durand Cup has reinstated itself as the country's premier competition, growing from 16 teams to 24 teams, including participation from all the Indian Super League (ISL) teams. Organised by the Eastern Command of the Indian Army on behalf of the three Services, the tournament is unique in the sense that it pits Services teams against India's best football clubs and over the past couple of editions, has also seen foreign participation with Army teams from neighbouring nations. The Indian Army's stated vision of expanding the reach of the historic tournament throughout the East and North-East is also now fully reflected with the choice of host cities this year. All State Governments and local autonomous bodies have wholeheartedly pledged their support, like always, for the popular tournament which has captured the imagination of the football-loving people of the region. A total of six venues, two in Kolkata (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan and Kishore Bharti Krirangan) and one each in Imphal (Khuman Lampak stadium), Ranchi (Morhabadi Stadium) or Jamshedpur (JRD Tata Sports Complex), Shillong (Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium) and Kokrajhar (SAI Stadium) have been earmarked for the 134th Durand Cup edition. North East United FC are the defending champions, having overcome maximum title-holders Mohun Bagan, in a thrilling final last year to get their historic maiden title. (ANI)
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Buffalo State University announces cuts to programs
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Buffalo State University announced Thursday that it is cutting 19 programs and the equivalent of 63 full-time staff members in its continued effort to balance its budget. The cuts come as the university says its deficit is projected to be between $15.5 million and $17.5 million as it nears the end of its fiscal year. Interim president Bonita R. Durand said in a press release that the university is on track to balance its budget by 2027-28. 'I am incredibly proud of the progress we are making as a community to strengthen Buffalo State's education mission and ensure students have the supports they need to achieve a degree that will serve them well throughout their lives,' Durand said. 'I remain confident in our ability — with the support of SUNY, elected leaders and community partners — to take the necessary steps that will maintain our university's position as a leader in higher education.' The following programs will be cut at the university: Art and Design — Concentrations in Fibers, Wood/Furniture, Sculpture, B.A. (all other concentrations remain) Art and Design — Concentrations in Fibers, Wood/Furniture, Sculpture, Design History, Digital Media Arts, and Product Design, B.F.A. Applied Economics, M.A. Art History, B.A. (Art History will be offered as a minor and included in Art and Design curriculum) Coaching, minor (Coaching certificate program offered) Computer Information Systems, minor Digital Design & Fabrication, certificate Disaster & Emergency Management, graduate certificate Economic Policy Analysis, minor Environmental Science, minor Fiber Arts, certificate Hospitality Administration, minor International Economics, minor Jewelry Arts, certificate Physics, B.S. Physics, B.A. Physics Education 7-12, (Science Education offered) Sculpture, minor Sociology, B.A. The changes come as Buffalo State says that enrollment has fallen by 45 percent over the last 10 years. *** Mark Ludwiczak joined the News 4 team in 2024. He is a veteran journalist with two decades of experience in Buffalo. You can follow him online at @marklud12. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Gulf Today
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Broadway's Andrew Durand reveals the secret to stillness
One of Broadway's more impressive performances this season is by Andrew Durand, who is a kinetic force in the first half of 'Dead Outlaw' and absolutely motionless in the second. For some 40 minutes, he's a corpse, standing in a coffin. 'Some nights I want to scream. Some nights I want to rip my skin off — that pressure that you can't move starts to get to me. And so there are nights that it is very challenging,' says the actor. Durand stars in the musical as Elmer McCurdy, a real-life alcoholic drifter-turned-failed bandit who was shot dead in 1911 but whose afterlife proved to be stranger than fiction. His embalmed body becomes a prized possession for half a century, transported across the country to take part in carnival sideshows, wax museums, Hollywood horror movies, roadside attractions and, finally, a prop at an amusement-park ride in the 1970s. 'You watch him have this successful career as a corpse,' says Durand. 'I think it just makes people really think about their own humanity: What's important while we are alive? What do we do with the time that we have while we're alive?' The musical — conceived by David Yazbek, who wrote the 'Dead Outlaw' music and lyrics with Erik Della Penna — reunites Yazbek with book writer Itamar Moses and the director David Cromer, who collaborated so winningly on 'The Band's Visit.' It's Durand's first time as the lead on Broadway, following roles in 'Shucked,' 'Ink,' Head Over Heels' and 'War Horse.' He spent many years with the Kneehigh Theatre Company, a troupe where the ensemble was highlighted. 'My favourite thing about theater is the collaborative nature,' he says. 'It's a big moment for me, and I'm excited about it. But, yes, I'm trying to remain grounded.' Durand, who hails from Rossville, Georgia, has been with 'Dead Outlaw' from the beginning when he was cast in last year's off-Broadway premiere. That's a lot of standing and not moving. 'It's different every night in terms of how easy it is on my body. Some nights I just sail through and I'm like, 'Oh, I didn't have to blink once and it was fine.' And then other nights my toes are falling asleep and there's tears running down my face.' While in the first half he's a hard-drinking, hard-fighting, table-jumping restless soul, he says he sets small goals during his time as a corpse, like waiting for the exact moment when a co-star walks in front of him so he can blink or swallow. He also plays word games in his head. 'I'll think of a word like 'pencil.' And then I'll try to think of a bunch of other words that start with the letter 'P.' And then if I find myself saying 'pickle,' then I start to think about foods,' he says. 'It's just like stream-of-consciousness things to keep me distracted from what's going on.' His nights would be easier if the show just replaced him with a dummy, but Cromer, at the first workshop, approached Durand and nixed that notion. 'He said, 'Just so you know, if this show happens, I'm not going to make a dummy version of you to put in that coffin. I think it's very important to have the actual performer in that coffin so that we are constantly reminded of his humanity.'' Cromer has been amazed at how Durand has created a character of straightforwardness and truthfulness simply from studying a photograph of McCurdy. 'Andrew Durand as a performer is a guy who you give him whatever the prompt is and he goes away and brings you 10 times more than you asked for and has completely created, well-thought-out version of things,' says the director. 'Dead Outlaw' is not Durand's first time playing a corpse onstage. He portrayed a dead man as a teenager in a community playhouse production of 'Arsenic and Old Lace.' Years later, he's just trying to serve his new work. Associated Press
