Tom Wells – CAFRE Alumni

My name is Tom Wells and I currently farm in partnership with my father outside Moira. We have around 250-300 acres of cereal crops, rotating between winter wheat, winter oilseed rape winter and spring barley. We run a poultry enterprise where we grow organic and higher welfare broilers on contract for Moy Park. We also farm 80 acres of grassland, which was recently changed from a suckler enterprise to finishing cattle. 

Following completion of my GCSE’s, I completed the Level 3 Extended Diploma in Agriculture at CAFRE, Greenmount Campus. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and my time spent there. I got a broad understanding into the various enterprises farmed within Northern Ireland and skills required to run a successful farm business.  

As part of my course, I completed a 12 month work placement. This was a brilliant chance to gain experience of an enterprise I had not experienced on my home farm. It also allowed me to gain hands-on, practical skills, responsibility for tasks and helped me gain independence. 

Following successful completion of the Level 3 course, I progressed onto the BSc Honours Degree in Agricultural Technology, which is delivered in conjunction with Queen’s University. The course offered a good range of practical on-farm studies, mixed with a wide range of classroom based technical information. I learnt farm business management techniques that I am now able to apply on the home farm. Following successful completion of the course, I returned home to the farm where I work full time.  

I have continued to maintain links with CAFRE through my involvement in the Business Development Groups (BDG). Our farm has been one of the first poultry farms to undertake Carbon Benchmarking, carried out by CAFRE’s Poultry Adviser. This has given an insight into how carbon efficient my farm is, in comparison to similar poultry farms within Northern Ireland and highlighted areas for improvement, helping to future-proof the business.  

As a grower for Moy Park, I have also completed CAFRE’s Level 3 Work Based Diploma in Poultry Production. This course helped me understand what is required to maintain the health and welfare of the birds and how to meet all the standards and legislation surrounding poultry production.