Morrisville State College to Host Equine Business Seminar

Morrisville State College is hosting a statewide equine business seminar on Saturday, April 24.

The event, which is open to the public, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Spader Greenhouse Complex on the Morrisville State College campus.



Keynote speaker, Lisa Derby Oden, of Blue Ribbon Consulting in New Hampshire, will give a presentation on “Thinking Outside of the Barn: Marketing Your Equine Business.” Oden is a nationally recognized speaker on topics including equine business development and marketing.



Her consulting practice, Blue Ribbon Consulting, offers business management and professional development services to the horse industry, focusing on problem-solving, planning and professional growth. Working with clients from all over the world, some of her work includes implementing a corporate development pilot project for a therapeutic riding center, marketing plans for riding stables and trainers, providing market analysis for proposed stables, and conducting a feasibility and business plan for a harness racing operation.



Oden conducts a workshop series on management and leadership topics for people in the horse business and is a published author on issues affecting horse business development. Additionally, she revitalized the New Hampshire Horse Council and worked to get the Equine Limited Liability statue passed and served as chair of the Equine Committee for New Hampshire Farm Bureau.



Other speakers and topics include:



9-10:30 a.m. “Building Your Equine Business One Hoof Beat at a Time: Making a Living with Horses,” by Paul Andrew Vosteen, JD, CPA, and assistant professor of accounting at Morrisville State College.



10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. “Getting the Most Bang for Your Buck: How to Get the Necessary Start-up Funding,” by Craig Pollock of Farm Credit East located in Sangerfield, New York.



1-2:30 p.m. “Managing Your Financial Records Using Quicken and Excel: How to Grow Your Equine Business,” by Morrisville State College Agriculture and Equine Business students.



The cost of the seminar is $25 and includes lunch. For more information or to register, by April 9, contact Professor Sheila Marshman at 315-684-6106 or marshmsa@morrisville.edu, or visit www.morrisville.edu/agbusinessdev.



The event is sponsored in part by Cornell Cooperative Extension - equine division.



Morrisville State College offers agriculture-related bachelor degrees in agricultural business development, dairy management, horticulture business management, equine science and renewable resources technology.



Agriculture-related associate degrees are offered in agricultural business, agricultural engineering, agricultural mechanics, animal science—dairy, agricultural science, diesel technology, diesel equipment technology, equine science and management, equine racing management, horticulture, aquaculture and aquatic science, environmental and natural resources conservation, landscape architectural studies, renewable energy technology and natural resources conservation.