Twice each year, students in the Start Something College of Agriculture and Life Sciences program embark on a full-day journey throughout Iowa to visit unique agricultural startups. At each destination, students learn about the business firsthand through tours, asking questions, and listening to entrepreneurs share their stories for “why” they started their own businesses. On Thursday, March 5, a collaborative group of 44 undergraduate students traveled to southeast Iowa to visit several unique businesses that likely wouldn’t be the first things that come to mind when thinking of Iowa agriculture. 

     For the first stop of the day, students experienced “a taste of the West” at the Sunset Hills Bison Ranch, located northeast of Malcom, Iowa. What first started as a “wild” idea to raise a few bison in 2018 quickly grew into a thriving ag-tourism and direct-to-consumer bison meat business for Bethany and Karl Kriegel, founders of Sunset Hills Bison Ranch. During the visit, the Kriegels shared their experience, including the key differences between bison and raising commercial beef cattle. Students also had an opportunity to venture out to the pasture to see the bison breeding herd grazing across the landscape. Bethany explained that the stunning scenery is key to the success of the hospitality side of their business. Throughout the year, the Kriegels also provide a remote “glamping” experience for guest travelers to spend the night in a covered wagon-style cabin. This unique extension of their business offers a valuable educational benefit as guests witness how the Kriegels care for their bison, the land, and their customers.

        From there, the journey continued to Washington County, Iowa, where students interacted with two local entrepreneurs, Dale Lyons and David Hora, with Continuum Ag. In 2015, the company began as an agricultural consulting firm focused on improving long-term soil health worldwide. Today, Dale and David shared that the company is also pursuing new business opportunities tied to the Section 45Z carbon tax credits for agriculture. In the future, the team’s aim is to help farmers receive additional income per bushel by issuing carbon credit certificates linked to proven reductions in their carbon intensity score.

        Additionally, students listened to Lexi Marek Beeler, founder of LMB Consulting, share about her journey in launching a successful ag-marketing firm. Separate from traditional marketing models, LMB Consulting operates as a fractional marketing company. This means that Lexi’s core focus is to help launch new business marketing initiatives and set clear, established goals. Throughout the discussion, she shared several personal recommendations with the students for how to successfully market a new business. This included setting clear boundaries for effective time management, valuing your time as an entrepreneur, and avoiding getting overwhelmed by using too many promotional channels. 

        The afternoon kicked off with a visit to the Fresh Iowa Shrimp House, located in rural Washington County. After a successful exit from the swine industry in 2023, Ken and Aimee Reed were left with vacant hog confinement facilities and the question of “what now?” With reliable access to clean water, and a willingness to try something new, the Reed family decided to partner with Jackson and Sarah Kimle from Midland Shrimp to install two turnkey shrimp finishing modules in their existing swine facilities. Since launching, the Reeds have raised thousands of fresh Pacific White Leg shrimp to an optimal market weight for local Midwest consumers. Over the course of the visit, students gained a hands-on learning experience, examining shrimp at different life stages, observing algae-water filtration technology, and understanding the shrimp production life-cycle.

To conclude a successful journey across southeast Iowa, students visited the famous Tassel Ridge Winery in Leighton, Iowa. In 2006, Bob Wersen founded the winery after planting specific grape varieties that would thrive in Iowa’s rich clay soils. Since then, his business has developed into a portfolio of over 30 award-winning wines produced in state-of-the-art facilities. Throughout the visit, Bob detailed the wine production process from harvesting to bottling, as well as a few of his marketing strategies for selling to a wide customer base. In bringing it all together, students enjoyed a complimentary sample of their dry and sweet wine flavors.

        Undoubtedly, the 2026 spring Start Something CALS ag-entrepreneurship tour was a great success. From lean, finely marbled bison to fresh, nutritious shrimp, every stop along the way had unique things to offer. Regardless of students' backgrounds or interests, this journey will shape their understanding of Iowa agriculture and foster a deeper understanding of successful rural entrepreneurship. 

A special thanks to Professor Kevin Kimle for leading this group of talented young entrepreneurs and to Emma Waterhouse for planning and coordinating this event!