Experienced Ceredigion TV and radio journalist John Meredith who has covered farming and rural affairs for the BBC across three decades was presented with the Farmers' Union of Wales Bob Davies Memorial Award at the Royal Welsh Show today (Thursday, July 25).
The award - in memory of Farmers Weekly Wales correspondent Bob Davies, of Welshpool, who died in November 2009 - is offered to a media personality who has raised the public profile of Welsh farming.
Receiving the award - a shepherd's crook specially carved by Aberystwyth stick maker Hywel Evans - from FUW president Emyr Jones, Mr Meredith said: "I have been covering the presentation ceremonies of the FUW's shepherd's crook to colleagues for a number of years but to actually receive this prestigious award is a great honour.
"It means a lot to me to be recognised by the people I have been reporting on and about for so many years and I'm deeply grateful to the FUW for considering that I'm a worthy winner of the award."
Mr Meredith retired from his Aberystwyth-based post in 2010 but still takes part in BBC's Welsh farming programmes on a freelance basis.
"Throughout my time as a reporter with the BBC covering rural areas, farming and the FUW featured highly and I well remember reporting issues such as two foot and mouth disease outbreaks, BSE and bovine TB," he said.
"I have also worked with four different FUW presidents, H R M Hughes, Bob Parry, Gareth Vaughan and Emyr Jones."
During his freelancing time Mr Meredith has worked for S4C's Ffermio programme producers Telesgôp, covering Pembrokeshire county show for three years running, and for Dei Tomos' early morning Radio Cymru farming programme.
While working full-time for BBC he spanned 21 years without missing a single Royal Welsh Show, primarily covering the event for Radio Cymru.
And since standing down from his full-time job he has remained in the farming industry after moving with his wife Tegs to a 28-acre smallholding at Blaenpennal, near Aberystwyth, set up by her grandfather.
"Her father also farmed it and it was one of the last true Welsh smallholdings making a living wage by selling milk to the MMB,” he said.
"We have been here since 2008 and we tack sheep in the winter and cattle in the summer for two different farmers. We have also just ventured into a Glastir scheme planting 3,000 trees that are a mixture or hardwoods.
"I was brought up as a lad at nearby Pontrhydfendigaid in the days when village boys helped local farmers with haymaking, potato picking, shearing and harvesting.
"On returning from the last war my own father Will spent all his life working for the MMB at Pont Llanio and Felinfach milk factories," added Mr Meredith, who was a research technician in cell biology at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, before beginning his broadcasting career.
Presenting the award, Mr Jones said: "After a long career as a radio and TV reporter in the Welsh and English languages covering Welsh farming and rural issues with lots of knowledge and sympathy, John fully deserves to receive this honour."
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PRESENTATION: FUW president Emyr Jones (left) hands over the crook to John Meredith[/caption]
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PROUD: John Meredith - winner of the FUW’s Bob Davies Memorial Award shepherd’s crook[/caption]