YFCU Cultivating Young Leaders participants visit Caledon Estate and Gilfresh Produce

YFCU were proud to have fifteen of their members take part in an agricultural-focused visit as part of their Cultivating Young Leaders programme on Saturday 28th March 2026.

The trip included a visit to Caledon Estate and Gilfresh Produce, two businesses that lead by example when it comes to innovation and leadership within agriculture. During the visit to Caledon Estate, members heard from Chris Gill, who kindly shared about how he fell into farm management. He explained to the group that following completion of his Higher National Diploma in Agriculture, he began his career in Essex, managing vegetable crops on an 8,000-acre farm. From overseeing daily harvesting of fresh spring onions to managing a team of 30 people, his early experience laid the foundation for his current role as Farm Manager at Caledon Estate. Now managing a 2,500-acre estate in County Tyrone, Chris oversees a 500kW anaerobic digester and the crops that fuel it, including rye, maize, and grass silage. The estate’s diversity, from forestry and livestock to holiday cottages, showed the wide range of opportunities available in agriculture, even without owning a farm.

The group then travelled to Gilfresh Produce at Loughgall, where they met with Managing Director William Gilpin. A true family business, Gilfresh began in 1965 when Thomas Gilpin started growing vegetables on just four acres. Today, it has grown into one of the largest vegetable suppliers across Ireland, employing over 140 staff at its Loughgall headquarters. William shared how the business has evolved over the decades, with a strong focus on sustainability and innovation. A recent £2.5 million investment in a green energy plant now allows waste vegetables to be converted into electricity—an inspiring example of forward-thinking in the agri-food sector.

Derek Lough (Chief Executive Officer) thanked both Caledon Estate and Gilfresh Produce for hosting the participants for what was a very insightful visit.