Valerie Orr, Foundation Degree Horticulture Year 2 student, Greenmount Campus

As a second year Foundation Degree Horticulture student at Greenmount Campus – CAFRE, I have been given many exciting opportunities to test my knowledge gained on the course. I have always enjoyed working with plants due to the great sense of satisfaction it gives along with the challenges. Recently however I have been given even greater challenges through representing Greenmount at two national competitions.

In February this year I competed in the Northern Ireland heats of the Institute of Horticulture, Young Horticulturalist of the year competition where after 50 taxing question I gained first place. This qualified me for the all Ireland final where two students from each of the four horticulture colleges in Ireland came together for a test of horticultural knowledge. The competition consisted of a selection of ‘on the buzzer’, directed questions and identification rounds where many strange plants and pieces of horticultural equipment had to be identified. After a very close contest I missed out on the top spot and a chance to go to the UK and Ireland final in Wales by one point. Despite this, the competition was a great experience as I got to meet other students from across Ireland and not forgetting the €150 prize money for second place!

Also this year I have been given the tremendous honour along with fellow student David Kirk to represent the college at the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) Horticulture Student of the Year competition. The winner of this award has the chance to win substantial prize money. The first stage was an application form and now I am looking rather nervously forward to the second round where I will be quizzed by a panel of horticultural experts on how I would propose to spend the potential winnings to further my horticultural career and my knowledge of the Irish Horticulture sector.

I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to take part in these competitions. They are a great way to test your horticultural knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject, meet new people, build confidence and further your horticultural career through the generous prize money available.

Valerie Orr,  runner up in the Irish Branch Final of the  Institute of Horticulture, Young Horticulturalist of the year competition receiving her cheque and certificate from Michal Slawski of Bord Bia after the quiz which was held recently at Greenmount Campus