By Neil Copley, National Diploma in Agriculture Graduate, Greenmount Campus

My name is Neil Copley and I graduated from the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), Greenmount Campus in 2008 with a National Diploma in Agriculture (NDA), and joined the Linton & Robinson Group as a Sales Executive and Technician.  I really enjoyed the course at Greenmount especially the work experience year which I feel gave me the experience and confidence to deal with many of the farming issues I encounter in my job and equipped me with a good sound knowledge of the farming industry.  At Linton & Robinson’s I specialise in the Dairy & Slurry Sector, covering the sales of milking parlours and slurry storage systems.

Jason Smyth, another Greenmount Graduate, is also employed by the Linton & Robinson Group.  After finishing his NDA course at Greenmount he gained practical experience on his home farm, before applying successfully to join the Group as Group Sales Co-ordinator in the Agricultural Sector and the Renewable Energy Sector.

The Renewable Energy Sector is closely linked to farming through the production of fuel for Biomass Boilers.   These burn not only timber but also Miscanthus grass, wheat, barley and wood as either logs or chips.  Solar Panels can also play an important role on farms as a means of producing hot water for example in the dairy.

Jason would recommend that any young person wishing to work in the agricultural sector should avail of the relevant courses at CAFRE.  He also speaks highly of the College tutors, their patience and ability to communicate their knowledge and experience to students.

Ex Greenmount students Neil Copley from Omagh and Jason Smyth from Strabane who are now both employed by Linton & Robinson in Strabane, Co Tyrone