Summer Bounty for Bunnies
It’s the time of year when fresh produce abounds. Give your rabbit some variety in her salad by trying some different greens. Rabbits can have 1 to 2 cups of fresh greens or herbs per 5 lbs of body weight. Greens/herbs are a low-calorie way to add variety to your rabbit’s diet and offer a wide variety of flavors. Remember to introduce new foods one at a time, in a smaller quantity for the first few days, to minimize any potential digestive upset.
MCRS foster rabbits regularly chomp down enthusiastically on arugula, basil, cilantro, Italian parsley, mint, parsley, sage, sorrel, watercress, as well as romaine, red leaf lettuce, kale, and collard greens. The leafy tops from beets, carrots, radishes, and turnips can also add variety to your rabbit’s salad. We often top off salads with a few edible flowers, too. It’s fun to watch each bunny explore her salad to find her favorites.
We wash all our greens at one time, dry them as much as possible (a salad spinner works well for this too), tear them into similarly-sized chunks, mix them all together, and store in veggie Ziploc bags in the refrigerator. Then, when it comes time to feed salad, everything is already prepared and each bun just gets a handful (or two). The preparation can be done on the weekends or while watching TV and saves a significant amount of time from the daily routine.
There are over 500 vendors of locally-grown products in Minnesota, including several others that sell herbs and greens. For details, pick up the Minnesota Grown Directory published by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (651-296-4939) or visit MinnesotaGrown.com.
The following vendors all sell fresh herbs. Several sell lettuce and variety greens. Many also offer a variety of other products, including organic vegetables, tomatoes, heirloom produce, fresh flowers, etc. Check out their websites or give them a call to find out more!
| Name | Location | Website | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dehn’s Garden | Minneapolis Farmers Market, booth 325 & 327 | Dehnsgardenherbs.com | n/a |
| The Herb Man | Between Farmington & Northfield on Hwy 3 | Herb-man.com | 651-463-2504 |
| Twin Pine Farm | Scandia, 8 miles east of Forest Lake | Twinpinefarm.com | 651-433-4644 |
| Brewery Creek Garden Center | Belle Plaine | n/a | 952-873-6555 |
| Eleanor’s Herbs | Hopkins Farmers Market, 9th Ave, 1/2 block south of Mainstreet Clock Tower | Eleanorsherbs.com | 952-922-7703 |
| Grace Farm | Mahtowa & Scanlon Farmers’ Market, Exit 239 off I-35 | Gracefarm.net | 218-389-0221 |
| Minnesota Valley Salad & Herb Co. | St. Peter, Hwy 169 North | n/a | 507-934-4650 |
Herbs
- Arugula - Distinct, peppery taste, similar to a radish
- Basil - Pungent flavor, like a cross between licorice and cloves
- Cilantro - A fragrant mix of parsley and citrus
- Italian Parsley - Similar, but more pronounced than curly parsley, reminiscent of celery
- Mint - Strong and sweet with a tangy flavor and a cool aftertaste
- Parsley - Light, fresh flavor
- Rosemary - A strong mix of lemon and pine
- Sage - Slight camphor taste
- Sorrel - Tart, lemony flavor
- Thyme - Fragrant minty, lightly lemon taste
- Watercress - Fresh, peppery taste
Greens
- Bok Choy - Stalks are crunchy, mild & juicy, Leaves have a cabbagy taste
- Endive - Slightly bitter taste and a crunchy bite
- Collard Greens - A combination of cabbage and kale
- Dandelion Greens* - Slightly bitter, sharp taste
- Escarole - Slightly nutty, bitter flavor
- Flowering Kale - A subtle bitterness
- Kale - Mild cabbage flavor
- Mustard Greens - Sharply pungent, the strongest of the bitter greens
- Raddichio - Bittersweet and satiny
- Romaine Lettuce - Sweetly bitter with a good crunch
Edible Flowers**
- Pansy - Slightly minty
- Nasturtiums - Peppery
* Avoid dandelion greens picked from yards that have been sprayed with chemicals. Dandelion
greens are also available in some grocery stores
** Avoid flowers from a nursery, garden center, or florist; they are likely to have chemical residues
that concentrate in the flowers.
