Dairy Barn Market in Decatur opens with more veggies, goodies

Special to the Eagle Observer/Brook Bereznicki
Bryan Austin stands in the doorway of the Dairy Barn Market in rural Decatur.
Special to the Eagle Observer/Brook Bereznicki Bryan Austin stands in the doorway of the Dairy Barn Market in rural Decatur.

DECATUR -- In 2020, when the opportunity presented itself, Bryan Austin and his wife Becca took advantage of the surplus of produce they grew and sold them at 20411 Highway 102 in Decatur. As of Tuesday, June 21, their Dairy Barn Market has been open for business with more vegetables and goodies for this year.

It started with a few tables, some produce, and a "Nike shoebox" cash register and now it has become a flourishing business with a whole assortment of vegetables, handmade soaps and other culinary goodies. With their expansion of land and knowledge, the business continues to grow day by day.

Initially, the Austin family grew vegetables for their own table but realized they grew more than they could consume. So they decided to sell their leftovers. But, to their surprise, the demand surpassed their expectations.

"If somebody would call us, or stop in, then we would go ahead and sell it," said Bryan, who is a retired Siloam Springs Police Officer. "So the 30 days (of produce) went away in 10 days. I said, 'Man, that's amazing!'"

So the Austins decided to convert their land and expand their property by purchasing nearby land.

The Dairy Barn Market grows corn, okra, squash, tomatoes, carrots and multiple varieties of beets. Each of these beets has a unique taste.

One of Bryan's favorites is the Chioggia beet -- which he calls the "stripe" -- because it has a distinct red and white color inside.

This beet has a robust, earthy taste with a subtle hint of "sweet." It takes less time to cook compared to other beets and has many applications. When served raw, it adds vibrant colors to salad or soups. It also can be sliced thin and baked into chips. The leaves are also edible.

The Austins take pride in their work and use every opportunity to add a personal touch to their business. They harvest honey straight from the bees in their apiary. They make all their breads and jellies from scratch and package them with a label that reflects the Dairy Barn Market location, which features their barn and silo on the property.

Becca makes all the breads and jellies. She bakes different varieties of sweetbreads and sourdough breads every Friday night so they'll be fresh on Saturday. Her most popular culinary creations are her jellies. This year, her redbud jellies are selling faster than last year.

"Last year, we didn't make enough," said Bryan. "We sold out very quickly. Well, we actually are (selling) about six times more redbud jellies than we did last year," he said.

Redbud jelly comes from the redbud tree flowers which bloom in Arkansas and the Ozarks. Its purple-pink flower petals are edible and once they are blooming, they are collected and soaked in boiling water. This extracts the flavor and essence of the flowers, which is used to give the jelly its floral taste and maroon color.

Aside from redbud jelly, Dairy Barn Market has an assortment of other jellies. Bryan says his favorite "breakfast jelly" is raspberry, served with biscuits.

Alongside the traditional flavors, Becca experiments with more robust ingredients to make unique combinations.

Bryan said, "We've got the jalapeno jellies or strawberry jalapeno. And we put that on a block of cream cheese and pour it on top of (biscuits). Even with crackers, we've decided that it is absolutely fabulous."

The Dairy Barn Market is optimistic this year because it has experimented with uncommon varieties of vegetables alongside local favorites. Bryan admits it's been a bit of a "learning curve," but that hasn't slowed the Austins down.

"We talked about it and said, 'Look, why don't we take the opportunity to go check out some other farmers markets?' So we went to Memphis and Nashville to check out those big farmers markets and talked to the people there ... We got a lot of knowledge from those two big area markets," Bryan said.

By exchanging different tips and tricks from the farmers markets, they have been able to implement different techniques to take full advantage of their crops and preserve the freshness of their vegetables once they have harvested them. One of these tricks preserves the freshness of lettuce.

"The lady in Memphis ... sold lettuce but didn't take off the roots," said Bryan. "She sold it in a tray that ... had water in it. And that kept it alive and vigorous."

For the Dairy Barn Market, it's exciting to explore new and inventive ways to expand the business. As of now, the Austins grow locally and deal locally as opposed to shipping their produce because they want to ensure their customers get the best and freshest quality of produce.

The Dairy Barn Market also sells handmade soaps which the Austins source from a local neighbor. These soaps offer fragrances ranging from honeysuckle to vanilla tobacco combinations.

What is their favorite thing about the Dairy Barn Market?

Bryan said, "I know it's going to sound crazy, but I've gotten to meet people that I haven't seen in a really, really long time. You know, they'll drive by and say, 'Hey, we heard you were doing this' ... and so we'll get to talking and visiting and I think that's the most enjoyable part."

Dairy Barn Market is still expanding. The Austins have a 5-year plan to see where this business will take them and currently have a Facebook page to reach out to the community. Whether someone wants fresh produce or some delightful goodies, customers at the Dairy Barn Market will always enjoy a good conversation and a friendly visit.

The Austins may be contacted via their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/dairybarnmarket.

  photo  Special to the Eagle Observer/Brook Bereznicki Becca Austin offers jellies for sale at the Dairy Barn Market.
 
 
  photo  Special to the Eagle Observer/Brook Bereznicki Bryan Austin shows a variety of beets grown at the Dairy Barn Market in rural Decatur.
 
 
  photo  Special to the Eagle Observer/Brook Bereznicki The Austins grow and sell lettuce and a variety of vegetables at the Dairy Barn Market in rural Decatur.
 
 
  photo  Special to the Eagle Observer/Brook Bereznicki Becca Austin bakes a variety of breads on Friday to be sold at the Dairy Barn Market in rural Decatur on Saturdays.
 
 
  photo  Special to the Eagle Observer/Brook Bereznicki Bryan Austin holds a jar of Becca's jelly at the Dairy Barn Market in rural Decatur.
 
 
  photo  Special to the Eagle Observer/Brook Bereznicki Inside the market, a table displays soaps and Becca's jellys.
 
 
  photo  Special to the Eagle Observer/Brook Bereznicki Bryan Austin stands in the Austins' garden at the Dairy Barn Market in rural Decatur.