Community Heroes Series
From the January 2003 issue of Alabama Living magazine
An Alternative Choice for
the Health Conscious National Association of Rabbit Cooperatives, Inc.
Story by Kay Marshall
It's a New Year and with it comes the inevitable and often broken
New Year's Resolution. Usually they go something like this. I am
going to ex-ercise more this year. I am going to lose weight this
year. I am going to stop smoking this year. I am going to eat healthier
this year. We all make them and we usually all break them within
the first few weeks of the month.
Thankfully, today's scientific studies make it easier for us to
get the facts about the things that are good for us or bad for us.
It really is within our power to choose more wisely with-out sacrificing
too much or giving up too easily on the life-style changes we're
striving toward.
With the ever-popular issues of healthy dieting, which include watching
our cholesterol, calories and fat always at the forefront of healthy
living
debates, our culture is constantly on the lookout for new choices.
What if there was an alternative to the more common beef, pork,
fish, or chicken? Well there is, and it's rabbit.
NARCI
NARCI, an acronym for North American Rabbit Cooperative, Inc. is
a newly founded organization that promotes commercial rabbitries
in the Continental U.S., with a Canadian branch to possibly join
NARCI soon. According to Alabama board members Gene and Hellen Tidwell,
of Hamilton, the group organized in May of 2001 when numerous rabbit
growers from across the South and Midwest decided to meet and join
hands to form a cooperative that would provide them greater marketing
potential and to have a community in which to dis-cuss future goals,
technology, and ways to improve their budding industry.
"Our first membership drive was in Batesville, Arkansas in
April of 2001," explained Tidwell.
"Currently the memberships are only open for growers in Alabama,
Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Texas, but it's our hope that, as
interest grows, other states will soon be able to join."
Tidwell, and his wife Hellen, have introduced NARCI to the world
via the Internet - located at www.narci.info.
Their national Website was developed and launched this year by the
Internet division of Tombigbee Electric (Tombigbee.net) and contains
a listing of the current board of directors from all states involved,
as well as information on rabbit as food.
Rabbit as food?
That's a hard idea for many people to, pardon the pun, swallow.
The thought of eating something that is generally perceived as cute
and cuddly just doesn't sit well in many people's minds. But, for
the meat lovers of the world, it seems quite natural to consume
massive portions of chicken, duck (and aren't they cute too?), cow,
pig, or our fishy friends from the streams and oceans.
Why then is rabbit different?
The diehard outdoorsman might find that ideology ridiculous. After
all, several thousand "Bambi's" are hunted, killed, and
eaten each year by the masses. If you think that eating rabbit is
too new age for you, then let's take a walk back through history
at how rabbit has served humankind. Historical records tell us that
rabbits have played a part in our food chain for centuries. If the
theme music to Davy Crocket is running through your head right now,
you're right on cue, as rabbit has played a role in human diet as
far back as 1500 BC!
According to public information at the Ardeng
Rabbit Meat Website, sailing vessels distributed rabbits
on islands in various sea lanes to be used as a source of food by
sailors, and in 1859 a single pair of rabbits was released in Victoria,
Australia, which in 30 years gave rise to an estimated 20 million
rabbits.
As the worlds human population grows there will be less land to
raise food and the rabbit will play an increasing role in this supply.
Rabbits are among the most productive of domestic livestock. A doe
rabbit that weighs ten pounds can produce 320 pounds of meat in
a year. By comparison, it takes two acres of land to raise a cow.
Rabbits will produce six pounds of meat on the same feed and water
as a cow will produce one pound of meat.
If you happen to be wondering who eats the most rabbit, it's our
European friends. Currently France is the world's largest producer
and consumer of rabbit meat. Following closely is Hungary, where
there are rabbitries with over 10,000 does producing rabbits for
export to Italy and other countries.
Statistics that would impress even Jed Clampett would love.
Research shows that rabbit meat has been used for special diets,
such as those for heart disease patients, diets for the aged, low
sodium diets, and weight reduction diets. In addition to the information
from the USDA, the Office of Home Economics and the U.S. Department
of Agriculture has made extensive tests resulting in findings which
state that domestic rabbit meat is the most nutritious meat known
to man. Another benefit is availability. Rabbit meat is seasonal
any month of the year and is especially recommended during the hot
summer months, as it does not contain the heating properties of
most other meats.
Listed below, from USDA Circular #549, are a few of the impressive
statistics about commercially grown rabbit meat and its nutritional
values.
Rabbit is lower in percentage of fat than chicken, turkey, beef,
or pork with unsaturated fatty acids at 63% of the total fatty
acids.
Yeah, but it's a rabbit and they're cute!
Most of us have to admit to being somewhat biased towards eating
rabbit, especially those of us who consider ourselves to be among
the more urbane. If the humorous image of Granny Clampett cooking
up possum and rabbit stew for her starving grandson, Jethro, comes
to mind, you're on the wrong track! Yes, rabbits are indeed cute,
but then so are deer, pigs, ducks, turkeys and many other animals
that we carnivores "gobble" up by the ton each year.
The very idea of the poor widdle wabbit trying to outwit the Elmer
Fudds of the world is a vision that's definately slantedin the rabbit's
favor. But from a healthy-eating viewpoint, we should be striving
to survive longer and to do that we must "Outwit", "Outlast",
and "Outplay" our fellow meat-eaters. With that intent,
rabbit meat seems to be the obvious choice, but in case you're still
doubtful, take another look at those USDA statistics!
Kill and Grill it?
For many potential rabbit eaters, there is the misconception that
in order to eat rabbit you'll either have to be a follower of Ted
Nugent and pull on your huntin' boots and grab your rifle, or else
have an acquaintance that hunts bag a rabbit for you. Consider,
instead, this simple comparison. Think about that nice, plump turkey
you ate during the holidays or the bacon you cooked for breakfast;
and what about the hamburger you ordered from the fast food restaurant?
Did you have to go out and hunt down a wild boar or find a lone
steer before you could have turkey, bacon, or beef? No. These meats
are available to all of us at our local grocery, restaurant, or
meat supply business. All are commercially grown and distributed
to market, just as commercially grown rabbit is. These are not wild,
game rabbits but rabbits grown specifically as a food source...just
like pigs or chickens.
While the commercial rabbit growers are not as well known or as
convenient to locate, they do exist. This alternative and healthy
choice is available to citizens here in Lamar and Marion county
through the Tidwell farm and through the various members of NARCI.
So the next time someone asks, "What's up, Doc?" tell
them rabbit, of course! For rabbit recipes and information, please
visit the NARCI Website at www.narci.info.
Kay Marshall is the Web Developer
and writer for Tombigbee EC.
You'll also find a list of delicious rabbit recipes on the Tombigbee
and NARCI Website.
debates, our culture is constantly on the lookout for new choices.
What if there was an alternative to the more common beef, pork,
fish, or chicken? Well there is, and it's rabbit.
rabbit, especially those of us who consider ourselves to be among
the more urbane. If the humorous image of Granny Clampett cooking
up possum and rabbit stew for her starving grandson, Jethro, comes
to mind, you're on the wrong track! Yes, rabbits are indeed cute,
but then so are deer, pigs, ducks, turkeys and many other animals
that we carnivores "gobble" up by the ton each year. 