I have been reading a lot about rabbits and they are high on my wish list. For city folk, rabbits have the advantage of being quiet and needing less space than chickens. The downside for me is that we currently have a bunny. Her name is Miss Olivia which will probably give you some insight into her status as food. One does not eat something named Miss Olivia. It might be a hard sell with my kids to convince them to eat sweet, furry things. On the other hand, I thought we would run into trouble with the pigs but it didn’t happen. The girls were very pragmatic about the whole thing. We probably don’t give them enough credit.
It’s snowing here! Not a lot but white stuff none the less. The only things up are the peas and a bit of asparagus so everything should be fine. I sure could use some warm weather as my tomato sets are HUGE. They really need to get outside but it needs to be a lot warmer. I’m sure I rushed it with starting them. I should have listened to Bruce and waited a couple of weeks.
We are still shopping for a new greenhouse or two. As we have to grow more food, season extenders are going to matter a lot more. Bruce is building a frame for the tomato bed so we can cover it more easily when frost threatens. In past years, we all run around draping the bed sheets over the garden in the fall, hoping to get another week of sun before we have to harvest. This will make the process a lot easier. I will also look around the thrift store for some dedicated blankets and sheets for this. It will take some sewing to get them big enough. All of this talk leads to thoughts of storage. I need a new shed. Gardening at the level we do takes stuff and the stuff needs a home. We have two sheds and both are packed full. If Bruce were not so neat and organized, we would never find anything.
My daughter is home for a visit and mentioned that several of her 20 something friends have moved back home with their folks. As much asI see this as the wave of the future it reminds me of a funny thing I heard recently. The fellow who was teaching the orchard workshop I took said that you don’t want to make the planting hole too rich as the roots will not reach out to find what they need. This is much like young adults. If home is too comfortable, they might not want to leave.
The Just In Case Book Blog 
April 28, 2010 at 10:04 am
Snow! It’s sticking here, we have 2″ and it isn’t stopping. GAH!!!
I’m not sure I want the expense of a greenhouse. I’d feel I needed to heat it in order for it to make sense. I’m used to working with the weather, so I’ll just try to be patient. I do like the idea of the frame around the tomato bed for fall drapes.
April 28, 2010 at 3:43 pm
We were pounded, got about 12 inches! Unbelievably the power didn’t go out! By the way, I just love your blog! So much good info! Thanks!
April 28, 2010 at 8:11 pm
If you don’t feel right about eating rabbits, then don’t eat them! Just get angora rabbits and use them for fiber and fertilizer generators. Two out of three homestead uses ain’t bad. You can change your attitudes if and when the situation is dire enough, but you don’t have to do it now.
May 1, 2010 at 2:34 pm
I’m like Ed – I have French Angoras, which are considered ‘dual purpose,’ because they have a big, meat-type body and wonderful soft, abundant fiber. I spin the fiber and fertilize with the poo – a “cold” fertilizer that can be applied directly to the garden without having to compost it first. I have seen a huge difference in my garden this Spring.
I’m not interested in using my rabbits for meat, and treat them like pets. One prominent breeder (in New England) sends all her culls to the freezer, and says it is a ‘significant part of her family’s diet.’ So, to each his own.
They are easy keepers. I keep 4 in a spare bedroom in my townhouse, but you could also use a garage or basement. Many build separate rabbit shelters or barns for larger herds, either in town or in the country.