NIACC Pappajohn中心和SBDC认可扭曲河农场的Steve Strasheim为2025年10月的企业家

MASON CITY, IOWA – The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and North Iowa Area SBDC are proud to announce Steve Strasheim of Twisted River Farm in Mitchell, IA as the 2025年10月月度企业家.

2014年，史蒂夫·斯特拉斯海姆（Steve Strasheim）创立了占地5英亩的扭河农场（Twisted River Farm）。 史蒂夫通过农场商店和太阳城app支持农业（CSA）计划，将他的农产品分销到北爱荷华州的杂货店、餐馆、农贸市场。

史蒂夫在蒙大拿州东部的一个甜菜农场长大，那里的农业意味着种植农作物，然后批量运送到工厂或电梯。 He explained, “My concept of agriculture wasn’t direct-to-consumer marketing or farmers markets or even vegetables. It was take your sugar beets and your wheat to the factory and do it all again the next year.” 2012年，当史蒂夫和他的妻子玛西开始专注于吃新鲜食物时，他们很难在爱荷华州北部找到当地的选择。 这次搜索激发了他们自己种植农产品并最终出售给他人的想法。

Steve’s model of entrepreneurship is one of measured and thoughtful growth. 扭河农场一开始规模很小，随着需求的增长而扩大。 “We started very small and just kind of kept growing as the market dragged us into getting bigger every year,” Steve said. 如今，农场的重点是服务太阳城app，同时保持可持续的做法。 他们尽可能避免喷洒化学药品，轮作以减少病害，并使用防虫网等技术来保护植物。

Twisted River通过五个主要渠道进行销售：CSA订阅、农贸市场、现场农场商店、餐馆和杂货店。 Steve is constantly evaluating his sales channels and has shown that he’s not afraid to pivot when needed. 在新冠疫情迫使餐馆关闭后，CSA计划成为该业务的重要组成部分。 “We quickly had to pivot […] with the shutdowns that were happening. A lot of our restaurant partners were closing up, so we had to quickly figure out how are we going to move our product,” Steve said. 最初的临时交付项目变成了永久的CSA模式，现在占农场销售额的近一半。

太阳城app connections have reinforced Steve’s mission. 他回忆起2016年加入梅森市农贸市场的经历。 “Just hearing that feedback from customers, they were so appreciative of what we were doing, and that just continues on to today,” he said. 顾客的积极评价使他即使在天气挑战、作物损失或鹿的伤害中也能保持动力。 “When you go to the market and people come in and they just say, ‘Oh my gosh, your corn was amazing and thank you for doing this,’ that pumps up the tires,” Steve said.

回馈社会也很重要。 扭曲河农场与雪松Summerstock剧院合作，为其烹饪项目提供农产品，为演员和工作人员提供整个季节的食物。 农场还合作举办了一个从农场到餐桌的晚宴活动，“和谐丰收”，将当地的食物和艺术结合在一起，创造了一个真正独特的心脏地带体验。

Mentorship and support networks have been part of Steve’s growth. 他把扭曲河农场的发展归功于他的妻子玛西。 He said, “Marcy works full time off-farm, but she’s very involved behind the scenes and heads up our cut flower bouquet program.” 他还从爱荷华州农民实践协会（Practical Farmers of Iowa）和他在网上联系的其他种植者那里找到了指导。 “There’s not a lot of vegetable growers in our immediate area, so I didn’t really have anybody I could just drive down the road to and say, ‘How do you do this?’” he said. 这些网络帮助他建立了扩大农场的信心。

回顾自己的经历，史蒂夫为其他考虑创业的人提供了建议。 “Always start small. 找到你的圈子，找到你的定位，看看人们在寻找什么。 Let the market in general kind of drag you into getting bigger, as I always say, rather than pushing it to accept you.”

NIACC John Pappajohn创业中心是农村商业创新和成功方面的专家。 In partnership with North Iowa’s Small Business Development Center, together we provide tools, support, and resources to Iowa’s entrepreneurs. 我们为新的和现有的当地企业提供咨询，从主要街道到行业领导者。 We’re growing Iowa’s entrepreneurial culture through grade school initiatives, college and community programs, and business training and development. Contact the NIACC Pappajohn中心 at 641-422-4111 or [email protected]. Visit the NIACC Pappajohn中心 online at www.pappajohncenter.com.

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