GLAS Special: CAFRE – Educating the next generation of horticulturists
James Crawford, Senior Lecturer, CAFRE, reviews the last 12 months of activity
Print17 July 2025
CAFRE Greenmount Walled Garden
Greenmount has been delivering horticulture education for more than one hundred years. So far, 2025 has been another great year for Horticulture at the Campus. In 2025 CAFRE (College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise) is celebrating 25 years of the redevelopment of the beautiful walled garden which went through a full renovation in 2000. CAFRE is also celebrating 25 years of Higher Education horticulture programmes, and 25 years of floristry programmes – three milestones that the college is extremely proud of.
Student achievement
CAFRE are very grateful for the support provided by the horticulture industry through bursaries and work placement opportunities.
Six students from our BSc (Hons) Degree and Foundation Degree programmes this year, who received generous £1500 bursaries from Bulrush, Idverde, Ulster Farmer’s Union, The Gibson Trust and the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society. Five of their higher education students also secured Colegrave Seabrook Foundation scholarships in competition with student entries from other GB Land based colleges.
CAFRE students had recent success at WorldSkills UK with three students achieving two gold and one bronze medal in the Landscaping category. These accolades are a testament to the dedication and hard work these competitors put into their skills areas. They are also a reflection of the amazing opportunities available to students and the quality education available across CAFRE campuses.
Gold medal winners in the landscaping category, Alan Mayers, Harry Fitzsimmons with bronze medal winner Luke Donald
There was also success at the recent Chartered Institute of Horticulture Young Horticulturist of the Year competition with two Foundation Degree students making it to the Ireland Regional finals.
Careers and events
CAFRE’s annual careers event in February 2025 gave students the chance to learn about some of the opportunities for careers and academic progression that are open to them. Fionnuala McAuley (Van der Plas Flowers, Institute of Flowers), David Wilson (past student, Overdevest Nurseries, USA) and David Richardson, (Commonwealth Wargraves Commission, President of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture) spoke of their achievements and career paths to date.
At the Garden Show Ireland Spring Plant Fair at Antrim Castle Gardens, Higher Education students sold peat-free plants that had been grown by them as part of their Ornamental Production class to members of the public.
Study tours
Higher education students embarked on a study tour to Leuven, Belgium through the Easter break, where they visited a range of horticultural visits including a tree nursery, a chicory farm, the EU Commission and Euroveiling flower auction.
CAFRE’s horticulture teaching resources are excellent, and a new campus is currently being planned for completion in 2032. Considering this and with all the exciting opportunities to study horticulture or floristry at Greenmount Campus, Antrim, on a full time or part time basis and at different levels in both further and higher education programmes, CAFRE are looking forward with confidence to the next 100 years.
If you would like to find out more about CAFRE’s courses visit www.cafre.ac.uk
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