Hutchinson ? A half-century ago, gasoline was 29 cents a gallon, a letter could be mailed for 3 cents, a dozen eggs were 60 cents and Fred Weber was taking care of the rabbits at the Kansas State Fair.

Fast forward five decades and a lot of things have changed. But at age 76, Weber still is at the state fair, still making sure the bunnies are getting the best of care.

He started raising rabbits at his Newton farm around 1951 and still competes in shows around the country. It’s not something he planned; it just evolved over the years and now he has about 250 bunnies at home in cages.

“I’m just an old farm boy at heart and I love livestock. My kids started raising rabbits for 4-H and it went from there,” he said. “When they got too old, I kept on and I still got ’em.”

When he started at the fair in 1955, Weber’s job was to carry rabbits from their cages to the judging tables. Over the years, he has moved up through the ranks.

For the past two decades, he’s been superintendent of the fair’s rabbit department, responsible for hiring the judges, making sure the cages and building are clean and doing what it takes to make things run smoothly.

“He’s a good guy, a laid-back kind of guy,” said Debbie Anderson, director of the fair’s competitive exhibits. “That department pretty much runs itself. Fred has got it down to an art.”

Fred Weber checks out a rabbit in the rabbit barn at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson on Friday. Weber is the superintendent of the fair's rabbit show.

Watching Weber as he walks around the rabbit building, it’s clear he enjoys what he’s doing. Folks come up to him and talk like old friends.

“I like the long hours and I meet people I only see once a year,” he said. “I try to mix a little fun in along with it. It’s the type of thing you have got to enjoy.”

His face, weathered by years of outdoor work, softens as he pauses in front of one of the cages. His hands, hardened from farm work, gently lifts a rabbit from its cage and checks it over.

They don’t all look like the white Easter Bunny.

Rabbits come in all sizes, from tiny ones at a couple of pounds to those weighing 20 pounds plus and looking like they need a leash more than lettuce. Some have ears that stick straight up; others have floppy ears that look more at home on a hound than a hare.

Start talking to Weber about rabbits and it’s obvious he knows a lot about them, like there are some 60 official breeds and why rabbits have long ears.

“Rabbits use their ears for keeping their blood cool,” he said.

When he started, rabbit competition at the fair wasn’t a big deal. But the numbers have grown and this year, he expects some 1,500 rabbits during the fair’s 10-day run.

“The biggest change is there are fewer bigger rabbits. People are going back to smaller ones because it takes less space and less feed,” he said.