GLAS Special: CAFRE – educating a flourishing horticulture industry

CAFRE Greenmount Walled Garden

James Crawford, senior lecturer at CAFRE reviews the last 12 months of activity

Horticulture

Read More: CAFRE GLAS 2026 GLAS Special James Crawford

15 July 2026

The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) Greenmount Campus has had another outstanding year supporting the local horticulture industry.

The campus has been proud to host horticulture students from across Ireland at two notable events in the academic calendar.

Firstly, Greenmount hosted the Bord Bia David Robinson Memorial Lecture in October 2025, welcoming over 100 students to hear Neil Porteous, Historic Gardens Consultant, reflect on the past 40 years of his career in horticulture.

Secondly, Greenmount Campus hosted the Irish final of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture’s Young Horticulturist of the Year Competition in March 2026, where seven competitors from across Ireland competed for a coveted place at the Grand Final.

Student achievement

CAFRE is extremely grateful for the continued support provided by the horticulture industry through bursaries and work placement opportunities.

This year, five students from BSc (Hons) Degree and Foundation Degree programmes received £1,500 bursaries from Bulrush, Idverde, the Ulster Farmers’ Union, The Gibson Trust and the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society.

In addition, a Further Education horticulture student secured a Colegrave Seabrook Foundation scholarship, competing successfully against entries from other land-based colleges across Great Britain.

CAFRE students also achieved recent success at WorldSkills UK, with students earning one silver and one bronze medal in the Landscaping category. These accolades reflect the dedication and hard work of the competitors, as well as the high quality of training and opportunities available across CAFRE campuses.

CAFRE students met with French horticulture students in L’Institut-Agro to discuss international design projects

CAFRE finalists: Tiernan Kelly, Luke Donald with his Silver Medal, Cameron Gilbert with his Bronze Medal and Rhys Logan, who was highly commended by the Judges at the WorldSkills UK Landscape Gardening Finals

Careers and events

CAFRE’s annual careers event in February 2026 provided students with the opportunity to explore a range of career pathways and academic progression routes.

Guest speakers included Craig Alcorn and Clara Agnew (Alcorn’s Garden Centre, Letterkenny), Aleana Cairns (Horticulture Adviser, CAFRE), John Beardmore (Ohio State University), Bill Winchell (Raker-Roberta’s Young Plants, Michigan), Will Armitage (Horticultural Trades Association) and Jill Peterson (Momento Belfast), all of whom offered valuable insight into the diverse opportunities within the sector.

Study tours

Higher Education students travelled to the Loire Valley region of France over the Easter break, undertaking a programme of horticultural visits.

These included Pépinières Lepage, a large-scale ornamental and bulb producer in Nantes; L’Institut Agro Rennes-Angers, a leading centre for higher education and research in agriculture and horticulture; market gardener Vincent Favreau; and L’Arboretum Gaston Allard in Angers, where students gained insight into municipal park and garden management.

Further Education horticulture and floristry students travelled to the Netherlands, where they explored both sectors in depth. Visits included the renowned Keukenhof Gardens, Royal FloraHolland in Aalsmeer, and Waterdrinker, a major floriculture wholesaler.

CAFRE students met with French horticulture students in L’Institut-Agro to discuss international design projects

CAFRE’s horticulture teaching resources continue to be of a very high standard, with a new campus development currently planned for completion in 2032.
With a wide range of full-time and part-time courses available across further and higher education levels at Greenmount Campus, Antrim, CAFRE looks forward to continuing to host key industry events and inspire the next generation of horticulturists.

If you would like to find out more about CAFRE’s courses visit here.