Who is behind Sweet Huckleberry Farm?
We are a second-generation farm, located in Shelton, WA.
Our story begins decades ago, with Haflinger horses, rare sheep, mini donkeys, and chickens known for their excellent eggs.
We loved our years of farming, but let that go when our job grew to involve months of travel each year. In 2015 that portion of our job was put on hold, and we were finally home. Our family became involved in foster care, with the idea of helping families get back on their feet. But, to make a long story short, that isn’t always possible, and through the wonders of adoption, we now have a whole new generation of farmers to raise!
But why Mini Plush Lops?
It was actually a convergence of many factors.
Work worth learning
Our kids want to earn money, and we want them to learn to work. Farm animals can be a great fit for that!
A birthday rabbit run
We planned to add rabbits to our farm, and even gifted the twins a rabbit run as the family gift on their 6th birthday!
Allergies
We have allergies, so a nearly hypoallergenic rabbit has a great deal of appeal to us. Plus, have you felt that incredible plush fur?
Temperament
Friendly snuggly pets are so therapeutic for our young kids who have seen so much trauma and for us grown ups as well!
A rare breed
We love working to help develop this young rare breed. We are striving to make sure our rabbitry produces only the best Mini Plush Lops and helps promote this wonderful breed.
And they are so cute!
We discovered that raising bunnies is super addictive.
Who was Ruthie?
A dumped Rex rabbit who wandered onto our property and started all of this.
One fine day we were shocked to find a stunning Rex rabbit hiding under our car, in the middle of our rural neighborhood. Clearly, she was an escaped pet. So we caught her, (she had obviously been handled before) and tried to find her owners. Sadly, no owners were forthcoming which makes us suspect that she was actually dumped.
Ruthie has a glorious coat. Many people who have “pet rabbits before” have gasped as they touch her plush coat for the first time. It’s amazing! And the color is so rich and perfect.
But that wouldn’t be the only surprise Ruthie had for us. A few weeks later, Ruthie delivered a shocking surprise: babies! Happily, one survived and is the sweetest, silliest little guy.
What a happy first rabbit adventure for Sweet Huckleberry Farm!