Ag Business Management (ABM)

Build your Ag business skills

Agriculture Business Management at Otero College aims to empower its students with firsthand knowledge to achieve their business goals. Experience a teaching philosophy based on a real-life approach to instructional coaching. The certificates offered through Otero’s two-semester ABM certificate program will enhance your business management skills in area farm/ranch, production, marketing, management, and operations.

The curriculum is delivered in a variety of instructional ways through the approach of being in the classroom/online, one-on-one visits, and cooperative learning. The multi-year individual certificate-based management programs offered by Otero are designed to help students get the most out of their education.

Future ABM students are encouraged by their faculty members to actively plan, run, or wish to launch a business in the future.

Note: Instructor approval is required prior to registration.

How to become a student in ABM

Apply to Otero College
Complete your application to become a student at Otero

Complete your FAFSA
The online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be submitted before registering for classes at Otero College – including veterans with financial benefits. The Otero College School Code is 001362.

Secure COF funds
If you are a Colorado resident and have not exhausted your COF benefits, access and follow the directions at the Colorado Opportunity Fund website.

Contact your Academic Advisor and your instructors

Jane Wheeler
Academic Advisor/CTE Success Coach
(719) 384-6802
jane.wheeler@otero.edu
Student Services Center

Visit the Academic Catalog

For Course Curriculum & Certificate Information

Who are your instructors?

Becky Sporrer is a dedicated instructor in the Agriculture Business Management program at Otero College. With over 15 years of experience in personal, business and agricultural finance, business management, and entrepreneurship, Becky brings a wealth of knowledge and real-world insight to the classroom.

Becky’s teaching/coaching centers on personal, one on one coaching and interactive learning with real-world applications. She is committed to guiding and helping her students navigate the dynamic challenges of starting, owning and thriving in their business.

Becky and her husband along with their 4 teenagers run Six Pack Farm and Cattle, LLC, a successful farm to feed, cow-calf operation. She is a 6^th generation agricultural business owner as well as a published author and speaker.

Outside the classroom, Becky loves spending time with her family, whether it’s in the livestock barn, processing cattle, setting water or playing a competitive game of cards. She also loves lifting weights, fitness and nutrition.

Linsay Rosser Sumpter is a third-generation member of the Rosser Rodeo family, granddaughter of Hall of Fame cowboy Cotton Rosser of the Flying U Rodeo Company, who grew up engrained in the Western Rodeo lifestyle. Sumpter, a former collegiate rodeo competitor for California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo, continues to impress as a professional competitor, as a Mountain States Circuit Finals qualifier in the breakaway roping. Additionally, Sumpter is no stranger to coaching and teaching. She served as the head rodeo coach for Otero College for 15 years. She is also a coach on BreakAwayRoping.com, and is the assistant coach for Team Free Riders for Kid Rock’s Rocken Rodeo.

Over the past 15 years, Sumpter has served as an adjunct instructor at Otero, teaching various agriculture courses, including farm and ranch management as well as range management.

She holds a master’s degree in mass communication and will bring her experiences from serving as the Commissioner for the Women’s Rodeo World Championship, the largest all-female rodeo in the world, to help educate her students in the utilization of communications and marketing to their agriculture industries. Outside of the arena and classroom Sumpter is married to six-time National Finals Rodeo qualifying steer wrestler Wade Sumpter and a proud mother of two cowboys.

Program Information

Courses Offered:
In Person
Online

Program Length:
2 Semesters for most certificates

Individual Certificate Credits:
18

Certificates Available

Records & Business Planning Certificate
Financial Analysis Certificate
Commodity Marketing Certificate
Market Plan Development Certificate
Web Productivity and Utilization Certificate
Advanced Business Management Certificate
Integrated Management Certificate
Profit Maximization Certificate
Leadership/Human Resource Management Certificate
Rural Business Entrepreneurship Certificate

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