With spring on the horizon, there is perhaps no better symbol of the season than the rabbit. Animal ambassadors of fertility, gentleness and new life, their effigy tends to appear more and more as the Easter holidays approach.
But there is much more to the tiny herbivores which, with proper care and feeding, can become ideal pets for city dwellers and farmers and which contribute greatly to agriculture through their meat, manure and wool.
![Allen Mesick, supervisor of Centennial Farm, holds two rabbits in his arms.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/686002e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1420+0+0/resize/1200x852!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F92%2F53%2F94ed7f384446abef24979e4bc485%2Ftn-dpt-me-centennial-farm-rabbits-4.jpg)
Centennial Farm Supervisor Allen Mesick holds two rabbits at the OC Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.
(Don Leach / Photographer)
Rabbits may also be bred and raised for the purpose of showing at fairs and competitions, where they can be judged and awarded for their health, coat and physique.
For the curious or the unconvinced, a new two-hour workshop at the Orange County Fairgrounds Centennial Farm on March 16 aims to educate participants about the versatility of the species, not only in spring but throughout the year.
“Urban hops —Rabbits as a Diverse Agricultural Journey” will provide a brief history of rabbit domestication, which has so far spawned 52 unique breeds, as well as advice on the many ways the animals can be kept, used and displayed.
The workshop will be led by Centennial Farm Supervisor Allen Mesick, a licensed rabbit judge who has traveled the world judging competitions and teaching others about the sustainability benefits of raising rabbits.
![A Holland Lop is one of 52 breeds of rabbit raised and exhibited in the United States.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ae5dbca/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1981x1981+0+0/resize/1200x1200!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd4%2Ffa%2Fde47381b4cbb81f71cda70065cb3%2Fholland-lop.jpg)
A Holland Lop is one of 52 breeds of rabbit raised and exhibited in the United States.
(Courtesy of Allen Mesick)
While the farm has been hosting farming and gardening classes for years, focusing on everything related to farming, from planting and pruning to cooking and raising livestock, this is the first time rabbits are in the spotlight.
“Selfishly, I wanted to bring this up because rabbits have been a big part of my life since I was little,” Mesick said Wednesday. “I don’t think rabbits are generally thought of as a product or a possibility, but that’s part of what we try to do with our agriculture and gardening classes: we want people to think about things that they perhaps didn’t think of it.”
Mesick’s lecture, which will feature a mother rabbit and her offspring, coincides with a rabbit show hosted by the Riverside County Rabbit Breeders Assn., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., during which hundreds of rabbits will be on display.
The talk aims to provide lessons for people considering keeping a rabbit as a pet – a good option since these creatures are calm, easy to care for and don’t require as much socialization as cats and dogs – and words warning for those who think. bunnies as a simple Easter thrill.
Rabbits can also be a solution for young people who want to raise a rabbit for a 4-H or Future Farmers of America project without the complex logistics of raising much larger cows, sheep or goats.
![A rabbit in a hutch at Centennial Farms at the OC Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/768d5d0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1493+0+0/resize/1200x896!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc9%2Fa1%2F762def8c4260a0b42e9edacdcb3c%2Ftn-dpt-me-centennial-farm-rabbits-3.jpg)
Rabbits can be a solution for young people who want to raise a rabbit for a 4-H or Future Farmers of America project instead of navigating the complex logistics of raising much larger cows, sheep or goats .
(Don Leach / Photographer)
As a bonus, rabbits do not need to be sold for slaughter once such a project is completed, Mesick said, and can be kept for competition or for wool harvesting.
“If you take really good care of your rabbit, it will probably be very good at competition. And they can live a long time,” he added. “It’s not easy for children to raise market beef, lamb or pork. (The rabbits are) a project that can continue long after the fair, and they don’t need to use them for meat.
Evy Young oversees Centennial Farm as director of agricultural programs for the Orange County Fair & Event Center. She said the site opened in 1989 to provide year-round agricultural-based learning opportunities for those who did not follow the normal OC Fair schedule.
![A class led by the University of California, Cooperative Extension, Orange County Food Preservation Master at Centennial Farm.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/450f513/2147483647/strip/true/crop/473x592+0+0/resize/1200x1502!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff6%2Fb3%2F374dccc641ae91cf95732cd39b6c%2Ftn-dpt-me-centennial-farm-rabbits-20240229-class.jpg)
A workshop led by University of California Orange County Cooperative Extension Master Food Preservers is one of several classes held at Centennial Farms throughout the year.
(Courtesy of OC Fair & Event Center)
In the first few months, around 1,250 guests were registered. Today, with the help of the classes, more than 40,000 people visit the Centennial Farm each year, in addition to the more than a million trips generated during the annual fair.
“It’s definitely an educational experience.” It involves a lot of hands-on learning,” Young said Thursday.
Established in 2013 with $350,000 in funding through the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, the farm and gardening lessons initially focused on plants, but has expanded to include culinary and livestock offerings, according to Young.
![Centennial Farm supervisor Allen Mesick walks two pet rabbits to their hutch.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ad5b7ba/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1374+0+0/resize/1200x824!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F60%2F55%2Fa0f82bad41e0afad1ceac1fe4875%2Ftn-dpt-me-centennial-farm-rabbits-5.jpg)
Allen Mesick takes two rabbits to a hutch. While Centennial Farm has been running farm and gardening classes for years, focusing on everything farming, from planting and pruning to cooking and raising, the Urban Hops class is the first time that rabbits are in the spotlight.
(Don Leach / Photographer)
“Agriculture encompasses so many things,” she added. “It’s not just about produce, it’s also about animals, and animals can be part of regenerative agriculture. So these courses are like a complete cycle of agriculture, if you will.
“Urban Hops” takes place on March 16, from 10 a.m. to noon. A $7 fee covers materials and documents, and parking is free. To reserve a place before March 13, visit ocfair.com/centennial-farm/garden-classes/.