The 2026 FBD Young Farmer of the Year said he got involved with growing cucumbers during Covid, describing it as “a project that sort of got out of hand.”

Shane Halpin was crowned the 2026 FBD Young Farmer of the Year at Tuesday evening’s awards banquet at the Heritage Hotel, Killenard, Co. Laois.

Halpin now runs Welgro Produce with business partner Seán, growing 7ac of cucumbers across multiple sites in north County Dublin.

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Speaking to Marty Morrissey after winning the award, Halpin said he has a history of farming within his family on his mother’s side through his grandfather and uncle.

“That’s where I was brought up basically picking spuds and cabbage, anything to do with that.”

He explained that he has had a grá for farming, particularly horticulture, from a young age.

Opportunity

In 2020, an opportunity came up for Halpin and his business partner Seán to take over a cucumber farm in Lusk from retiring cucumber farmers who they knew.

“We started with three acres, we now have seven acres and we’re looking at more,” he stated.

“There was a market there to be serviced and we got the support of the retailers at the time and we’re getting support from retailers going forward so it gave us the confidence to acquire more glass over the last few years and invest and we’d now be the biggest cucumber grower in the country.”

Halpin said if he was told he would be a cucumber farmer 10 years ago he would be surprised, however now he said he knew the opportunity was there.

The previous owners of the cucumber farm guided Shane and his business partner very well to help them get going, he said.

Speaking about winning the award, he said he never through he would win the award and that it’s great to get the acknowledgment showing that there’s support for what he’s doing, describing the calibre of participants as very high.

As the first ever farmer from Dublin to win the young farmer award, Halpin said he “had to get that on the list.”

Cucumber season

Halpin told Marty Morrissey that cucumber planting starts in January and continues each month until August for seasonal supply, with harvesting taking place from the end of February until the start of November.

“It’s just constant, it's cyclical, you’re tending to the plants, you’re picking the plants, you’re packing, you’re planting.”

Speaking about his passion for farming, he said: “to know that I produce the crop, produce the product that’s on the shop shelf that someone’s buying and people are eating, it’s a good feeling to produce something that’s feeding people.”

Future

Halpin said he hopes that winning the award will open doors for him for new opportunities over the coming year similar to last year’s winner of the award, Aileen Sheehan.

Looking ahead on the coming years, Halpin said he wants to continue growing cucumbers to service the market

“Just grow a good crop and supply Irish product to the Irish people, you know, it’s what I want to do.”