Some quotes from it:
For the average person’s 1919 budget, an American Blue doe could still command a price of $25, which adjusts for inflation to about $300 today. An advertisement in an issue of Hares and Rabbits that year has an advertiser seeking all or part of five million rabbit pelts. Edward H. Stahl, developer of the American Chinchilla rabbit, became the first person to make a million dollars with rabbits, in 1938. Highly useful, rabbits were not only a significant economic product, but also a standard feature on many small farms.
Times change.
Why Rabbit the article asks and answers:
For the health conscious, rabbit meat contains very little fat and cholesterol. It contains the highest value of protein per calorie of meat.
For the environmentally conscious, a rabbit leaves a smaller environmental footprint, and great organic fertilizer. A doe weaning four litters in a year can produce 1,000 percent of her body weight, compared with a cow that can make 40 percent for her 400-pound calf.
And for those who want the ultimate accountability for their food, a small backyard rabbitry can provide a hands-on lesson in the real circle of life.
Being relatively prolific, properly managed rabbits can produce a steady, consistent supply of meat.
The article goes on to talk about breeding, housing and more.
It's a good primer for those wanting to get into raising rabbits and worth checking out. :)
The renaissance rabbits are experiencing is a boon for the several heritage breeds only recently on the verge of extinction, and also benefits the small farmer or urbanite backyard farmer. Thanks to the efforts of the handful of dedicated breeders keeping those heritage breeds alive, they are returning to their original niche, and a new generation of rabbit breeders can experience the joys of rabbit raising.
Welcome to the Renaissance.
Read more: http://www.grit.com/animals/livestock/raising-rabbits-for-meat.aspx?page=5#ixzz1K5ym2Qkn