Curtis Burnside, Sospiro Ranch
Rabbit Processing Facility
Grant Award: $6,000
Curtis and Susan have built a FDA-compliant processing facility to prepare meat rabbits to sell to Asheville area restaurants. The 18-foot by 12-foot building allows for on-site slaughter, dressing, packing, storage and sale of rabbits grown on farm.
“We have visited a number of slaughter operations and understand the facts at hand and the importance for a humane, clean and safe environment to produce quality rabbit meat,” Curtis said.
Curtis and Susan have a 50-foot by 16-foot pole barn on the property to house 72 cages of rabbits, harvesting 20 to 25 carcasses weekly. They sell wholesale, vacuum-sealed, dressed, frozen meat rabbit to the restaurant market.
Since 2011, Curtis and Susan have been rejuvenating abandoned farmland, which used to support dozens of “Limousin” feeder calves from the 1950’s through 1980’s. Their new ventures include beekeeping, Boer meat goats, egg layers and homestead gardening. They sell products direct to the community as well as six to eight goats on the hoof annually to American Boer Goat Association breeders, FFA participants and area consumers. Curtis was trained in animal husbandry in the 1970’s.
See www.PisgahGoats.com and look up Sospiro Ranch on Facebook
Contact the Local Extension Agent