JCL FARM
Beveren
White, Blue, Black, Chocolate & Lilac
In 2013 we made the decision to raise rabbits for meat in town. We eventually chose Beveren as our breed and moved away from the city. Raising rabbits for consumption taught us more about ourselves than we imagined. It also gave our daughter an outlook on food and livestock that we never would have been able to teach using grocery store food and books.
Late fall of 2015 we decided to try showing our rabbits. That first giant purple ribbon for "Best In Show" changed our objective from just meat to improving a forgotten breed.
In April 2016 we took a handful of Beveren to the Catskill Region Rabbit & Cavy Breeders Association show. Our Best Of Breed (BOB) winner, JCL08, later went on to win Best Overall Fur at the 2016 Beveren Nationals.
Some lifelong friends have been made at these shows. People we would never meet if we didn't travel across the countries bringing our best rabbits to compete.
Those trips are worth every second and every penny when you are able to make connections with families who realize that Beveren are the rabbit for them. At the Catskill show, there were a number of 4Hers roaming around checking out all the different breeds. I encouraged every one of them to pet a Beveren. One young lady listened intently to what I had to say and had trouble taking her hands off the plush coat of the intermediate doe she was petting. They contacted me later that spring and purchased their first Beveren. Almost a year later, I received this email:
Hi Jamie!
Mr. Yukon made his upstate show debut today and received best opposite, opposite of Trixie. Trixie received Best of Breed and Be...st of Show. We had an ARBA judge from Fulton County who couldn't believe that Izzy had Beveren. He was amazed by Trixie. He just kept walking around her, he'd consult the standards book, measure her ears (!!!) and just kept saying that she was a beautifully put together rabbit! He asked Izzy a bunch of questions about her heritage and we told him all about you and how hard you've worked to bring them back pure. He publicly mentioned, at the end of the show, how delighted he was to see a heritage breed represented. He told us that Yukon is spectacular and is growing into a perfect buck.
Yukon behaved so well on the show table! Trixie is a bit of a mover but she calms down when we talk to her. I secretly bribed her with a little bit of a banana. Anyhow, the judge encouraged Izzy to show them at an ARBA show (today was a 4H show). He said they are ARBA quality champions!
I'll attach a couple of pictures. Yukon's nose is all healed and was not noticed or mentioned at all. Trixie finally sat still at the end for pictures-such a diva!
Thank you, Jamie! We love them both so much and will enjoy seeing what they can do! Thinking of possibly going to the April 15th show in New Paltz. I think you are going to that one?
Talk to you soon,
Cara