Yep, meat would have been my first choice, rather than pelts.
There are some humongous-sized rabbits in/from the British Isles that are about 35# but I have no idea how good their meat is. I’ve never been one to eat bunnies, but if they taste like chicken....
And yes, you do have harsh winters!
With the price of meat it would be a nice addition.
I am starting to regret only having gotten one feeder pig this year but it was such a pain to process three.