Press Article by Derek  W. Alexander

90 Years of Greenmount – Land of Learning

Whenever ex-students or staff of Greenmount Agricultural and Horticultural College meet, it is not very long before stories start to flow and the reminiscing begins. Even those with widely differing ages invariably find common ground as they recall particular incidents, escapades, lectures or foibles of members of College staff. Conversely, staff recall the academic achievements, extra-curricular activities and high spirits of individual students. The phrase most likely to be heard from previous students is, “It was the best year of my life.” And as one previous student also asserted, “Greenmount made men out of boys!” This is clearly apparent from Greenmount – Land of Learning, written by Derek Alexander and recently published by Appletree Press on behalf of the Greenmount Association.

With decisions taken on the O’Hare report (see Note for Editors) and the creation of a single College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise in 2003, albeit with three different campuses, Greenmount has reached a defining stage in its development. Land of Learning traces the story of the College from the early 1900s until the present. The initial debate and deliberations (some would say arguments!) which went on before it was agreed to establish an agricultural school near Antrim are described. Choice of a suitable site and appointment of the first staff were crucial decisions in getting the College off to a good start. From the first intake of 11 students in 1912, the story of Greenmount is traced up to 2003 when a total of over 300 full-time and 500 part-time students were enrolled. Because the College was initially quite small, the regime that operated for so long was of a personal nature, reflected in the stories, when everyone knew everyone else. Inevitably the College has become larger but the ‘Greenmount spirit’ and the ‘loyalty factor’ shown by many staff and students are still very much to the fore.

A lot of interesting information has been assembled about the College, its early Principals and the student regimes that operated during its formative years. Derek traces the changes and developments which took place until the present day. Carefully preserved notebooks and diaries were made accessible to the author. He interviewed former and current members of staff and students, many of who described particular personalities with whom they came into contact, such as the expert ploughman Anthony Brady and the stern, knowledgeable Matt Boyd. And of course, the various Matrons and Wardens each had a personality of their own!

During his research the author was inundated with tales and recollections about life at Greenmount. Some of these anecdotal stories are included to give a flavour of the College experience as generations of students learned and played over the past 90 years. There was a story from the Glenwherry Hill Farm about a ewe surviving under a snowdrift for three weeks, having eaten every scrap of edible material around her but still managing to produce a lamb. Another story referred to the difficulties during the ‘big snow’ of 1963 when the College almost ran out of bread! And there are many more! As Derek says, “I uncovered a wealth of material, much of which was extremely informative, interesting and sometimes amusing. I was also delighted to include many photographs which illustrated different aspects of Greenmount’s history. I hope that by providing an accurate record of its activities from 1912 the book will help readers to appreciate how the College developed and what it achieved. I am sure that the stories recorded will also serve to remind readers of the enjoyable times spent at the College and to show others what they missed by not being there!”

In many ways the record of the last 90 years at Greenmount reflects the development of farming in Northern Ireland as the College updated its enterprises to demonstrate the latest agricultural and horticultural progress. Horses and binders have gone. Dairy buildings, milking equipment, harvesting machinery and implements all had to be modernised. The original School farm was of course much smaller than the present College farms and the farmyard has expanded far beyond its original walls. With increasing student numbers, technical progress in the agricultural industry and the trend towards larger farms, it was inevitable that the acreage of land at Greenmount should also be enlarged. The expansion of the College farms to include varying soil types and the purchase of an upland hill farm at Glenwherry in 1964 is recorded. Successive generations of students became very familiar with the various Greenmount farms, such as O’Neill’s and Blair’s, and indeed many knew individual fields by name. The squad system of practical work (especially early morning milking!) was in operation for a long time and many past students will relate easily to the routines described.

Behind the lighter moments, Greenmount’s raison d’être remained essentially the same - to provide a solid grounding in the principles of agriculture, horticulture and related subjects for those entering or already in these industries. Greenmount has a deserved reputation for providing excellent courses, with facilities to match. The various College Principals and their staff have had a huge impact on the standing of Greenmount and the quality of learning that was delivered. The book outlines the progress made under the tenure of each of the Principals. The original dormitories have now gone, to be replaced with the latest individual study bedrooms and the very best in student accommodation. Provisions for sporting and social activities are now as good as at any educational campus. The regular upgrading of the farm buildings and the overall teaching facilities, together with the development of the various courses to include subjects being offered now which were undreamt of 90 years ago, are described. For quite a long time, horticulture seemed to play second fiddle to agriculture at Greenmount, but its Cinderella image was to change as time passed. It evolved from its earlier emphases on gardening and crop production to the current situation where amenity horticulture plays an increasingly important role. In addition, since the College re-opened post-war in 1948, a good record of research and development (particularly on many aspects of silage) further enhanced the College’s reputation and the findings were passed on regularly to the wider farming community. Greenmount undertook this research not only for the benefit of the agricultural industry in Northern Ireland but also for the students, who could see the work in progress. Reference is made to some of the more significant College open days and demonstrations which attracted huge attendances.

Over the years, every Minister of Agriculture, many interested dignitaries and numerous farmers have made a point of returning to support Greenmount and keep abreast of new technology and management techniques. Innumerable visitors including schoolchildren also came from an urban background and the College felt it important that they should learn not only about the basics of food production but also about nature conservation. In 1979 the College took a step which at the time seemed unusual for an agricultural college - it set up a nature trail for schoolchildren and other visitors. There is little doubt that the Trail encouraged a better appreciation and understanding of life in the countryside - from man’s farming activities to nature’s abundance of wild plants and animals. It played an important part in the College’s “schools outreach programme”.

The Greenmount Association, an organization for present and former students and staff of the College, has been in existence since 1932. Over the past 70 years, the Association has played an important role in helping to keep ex-students abreast of current technical developments and news about the College. The fact that so many previous students hold, and have held, prominent positions in the agri-food industry in all its aspects demonstrates the contribution that the College has made. Most people would agree that resources devoted to both education and research at Greenmount over many years has provided a good return. The investment has paid off in terms of increased know-how on the land, improved yields from the fields and livestock and the development of Northern Ireland agriculture as a very efficient and competitive industry. There is little doubt that Greenmount played a significant role in this progress.

Greenmount – Land of Learning provides a unique insight into what is one of Northern Ireland’s best-known agricultural establishments. Those who have passed through Greenmount will be interested in the changes that have taken place both before they arrived and in the period since. The current students’ lifestyle is vastly different from their predecessors, as the story of Greenmount demonstrates. And there have been many changes in the farming and agri-food industries, from the degree of mechanization to grassland and animal management and the use of computers. Certainly the rate of change at the College does not appear to be slowing down. It is hard to imagine where it will be if the rate of change continues unabated. All can be assured, however, that Greenmount will continue to be at the cutting edge of educating young people for the agri-food industries and is well placed to meet the challenges of the 21st century. But who knows what the next 90 years will bring?

This book should be a ‘must-have’ for ex-students and staff, and anyone interested in farming culture and the land-based industries, although it will also have broader appeal to educationalists and historians.

Note for Editors: Inter alia, the O’Hare Review of 2002 examined the arrangements for the provision of agri-food education and research and development in Northern Ireland. In 2003, one of the decisions arising from the review was the creation of a single DARD College, the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise, based on the existing three agricultural education campuses, Greenmount, Loughry and Enniskillen.

By Derek W. Alexander 
Author of Greenmount – Land of Learning