College - Author 1
College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Department - Author 1
Agricultural Education and Communication Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Agricultural Science
Date
12-2018
Primary Advisor
Megan Silcott
Abstract/Summary
At San Luis Obispo, the University Cal Ploy has an Animal Science Department that offers over twenty enterprises pertaining to livestock production which “provide the environment for students to get outside the classroom and work with the animals in teams of students” (Cal Poly 2017-19). As reported from the “Animal Science Department Enterprise Class List”, the classes involved help develop technical skills by having students learn and work in active production settings with livestock such as cows, steers, pigs, lambs, goats, and chickens (Animal Science Department 2017-19). However, when compared to the livestock accounted for at a traditional county fair setting, there is a deficit of one species. Henceforth, it became the authors mission to create an Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting a Rabbit Agricultural Enterprise in the form of a manual with the hopes that the previous knowledge and experiences can inspire and assist in advocating the growth of the rabbit industry.
The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting a Rabbit Agricultural Enterprise was developed and proposed to the University Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. It intended to be implemented as a new enterprise to help aid the enrichment of the university experience, raise awareness of agriculture and agricultural products in a niche market, gain knowledge on how to develop additional revenue from the existing business, and help determine if the entrepreneur would like to pursue a career in rabbit production. The publication should be utilized to aid in determining what type of rabbit enterprise the entrepreneur may wish to operate; how to start, manage, and market their enterprise; how to train and instill protocols on the site; take into consideration of regulations and which ones will need to be addressed if wanting to implement the enterprise in a school setting; and how to use the enterprise in the variety of niche markets. The Entrepreneur’s Guide to starting a new Rabbit Agricultural Enterprise also includes resources the author gathered from her years involved with rabbit production (Maldonado 2016).
With the creation of a rabbit enterprise, students will be able to obtain knowledge and provides experiences of working in a niche market, and the practice of working with an animal that requires specialization. This enterprise would be created with the hopes of showing students the basics of a production and how to create profit, manage and expand a rabbit enterprise.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/agedsp/131
Poster