Nestled on the corner of Bank and Market Street in downtown New Albany, dozens of vendors and farmers offer their fresh produce, organic meats and—at the stand belonging to local farmers Steve and Jane Carr—bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup.

The couple sells their products at the farmer’s markets in both New Albany and Corydon, while also doing business with several local restaurants, grocery stores and health food stores around the area.

“We were in the stocker business for 25 years and it just got to the point where we wanted to diversify our operation,” Steve Carr said of starting the business. “We use no antibiotics or hormones, and the feedback we’ve gotten from our customers was real positive.”

Individuals who prefer all-organic as opposed to processed, GMO-laden foods only have to make a half an hour drive to northwest Harrison County, to the small community of DePauw, Indiana. There lies 3D Valley farm, the business and residence of the Carrs.

Multi-faceted farm

The farm sells meats of varying types and qualities, from filet mignon to beef bologna, all sourced from livestock raised on the farm. They also sell fresh eggs that are laid daily by around 500 free range chickens, as well as maple syrup tapped from trees on a property in nearby Washington County.

The Carr’s business sacrifices the efficiency seen on other farms, but makes up for it with the quality of their products. The operation has become popular enough that they recently converted an old equipment shed behind their home into a store, which features a kitchen-like area in the back of the building that is used to host events such as farm to table dinners in an effort to make the business more customer friendly.

Continuous improvement

Even with the success of their business so far, the Carrs are continually working to improve the quality of their product, especially with their cows, which are fed by either all natural grain or grass — primarily alfalfa for the latter. Their chickens often forage and graze along with the cows, which helps control parasites as well as improve the quality of the eggs they lay. Their main goal with their cattle is to work towards year-round grazing.

“The cows and chickens work really well together and the chickens will forage behind the cattle herd, which helps with parasite control,” Jane Carr said. “It also benefits the chickens because of the larvae they pick up, which enriches the yolks in the eggs.”

The more simplistic operation is not a two person show, as their three daughters, Jo Ellen Harshey, Morgan Moore, and Leigh Bovaird all assist their parents in some capacity. Harshey lives down the road from the farm while Moore commutes from her home in Salem every day. Bovaird consults with her mother on how to improve the operation almost daily from her residence in Hawaii.

3D Valley Farm is a staple at the New Albany Farmers Market. Winter hours (Nov. 1 through Derby Day) are 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. every Saturday at the corner of Bank and Market.