Students enjoy ‘eye-opening farming tour around Belgium

Students enjoy ‘eye-opening farming tour around Belgium

2 July 2025

A TEAM of students from Lecale Trinity Grammar School have recently returned from an eye-opening farm tour of Belgium.

The team consisting of Ben O’Connor, Christopher Cunningham, Lochlann Hegarty and Brent Magouran explored cutting-edge farming practices and engaged with European agricultural policy as part of the prestigious ABP Angus Youth Challenge.

The visit included farm tours in Belgium, discussions with EU representatives in Brussels, and valuable insight into the future of food and farming in Europe.

Closer to home, the team also visited John Egerton’s farm in Fermanagh to learn about grassland management and calf rearing, and Herte Peat Farm, where they saw daily automation in action – including Lely robotic milking, automated scrapers and vector feeding systems.

Their journey continued through the agri-food chain with a hands-on cooking session at CAFRE Loughry Campus, where they prepared Angus steaks, and a behind-the-scenes tour of Linden Foods, where they gained a complete picture of how beef is produced from farm to fork.

To continue the momentum and bring their learning to life, the boys will be launching a weekly podcast entitled The Grazing Ground, with the first episode due to air this Friday.

The podcast will focus on farming life, Angus cattle and the Three Es – Environmental, Economic and Ethical – all viewed through the lens of animal welfare and sustainability.

Speaking on behalf of the team, Ben said the trip to Belgium was a “real eye-opener”. 

“Seeing how other countries farm and how much tech is being used gave us fresh ideas and perspective,” he said.

The students thanked ABP, Certified Irish Angus and their teachers and mentors for their continued support.

They also acknowledged the strong friendships formed with other teams during the trip, highlighting the shared passion for agriculture among young people across the country.