South Ga. has first rabbit processing plant

September 6, 2002

Cook County- Carroll Bullard is a lifetime farmer.  For many years, he's grown corn, cotton, and peanuts. But Carol recently had a new farming idea.

"A rabbit ran out of the corn field, and we thought we could make a little money with a rabbit processing plant," said Bullard.

Bullard runs Georgia's only licensed rabbit processing plant. He raises and processes thousands of rabbits on his family farm in Cook County. "We raise them, and about four months we butcher them, and send them out to the grocery stores," said Bullard.

Bullard's rabbits are sold in grocery stores all over South Georgia, and several other states around the country. "We've got some in New York, New Jersey, Alabama, and we're always hunting new markets," said Bullard.

Grocery stores in Adel have been selling Bullard's Rabbits for months. They say customers were hesistant at first. "They're catching on, but sales were pretty slow at first," said W. F. Taylor, Meat Manager at Harvey's Supermarket.

And as for the taste-- "As a boy I was raised on rabbit, and we thought it tasted a lot like chicken," said Taylor.

Bullard hopes his business will multiply as fast as the rabbits.

posted at 4:30 by ashley.harper@walb.com