The Gibson Trust has allocated funds to support study tours for agriculture students at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise Greenmount Campus. The charity aids learners in Level 3 full-time and apprenticeship programmes.

Final-year students on the Level 3 Advanced Technical Extended Diploma in Agriculture and Level 3 Agriculture Apprenticeship will participate in tours scheduled for April and May 2026. Joe Mulholland, a senior lecturer at CAFRE, stated that 65 students from the diploma programme have signed up. Staff plan to split them into three groups for visits to farm businesses in England, Scotland, and Wales during mid-May, after assessments conclude.

Sharon McLaren, interim head of agriculture education at CAFRE, noted that the tours extend classroom learning by offering direct exposure to farm operations. They aid academic progress and prepare students for employment. Philip Holdsworth, senior lecturer for the apprenticeship programme, added that participants will engage with business owners and professionals to gain career insights.

The Gibson Trust, established from the estate of William Gibson who was born near Dromore in County Down in 1840, directs its resources to assist farmers in Counties Antrim and Down. CAFRE operates under the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to deliver vocational agriculture training in Northern Ireland.

Greenmount Campus will host an agriculture open day on 13 March 2026.