Dei Tomos, a familiar voice and face on BBC Radio Cymru and S4C programmes, was presented with an award by the Farmers' Union of Wales at the union's annual general meeting in Aberystwyth today (Friday, June 17) in recognition of his services to the farming industry.
Presenting him with the union's annual external award, FUW president Gareth Vaughan said: "Dei is highly respected in farming circles for his in-depth knowledge of agriculture and, in the wider community, for his love of the countryside.
"His early morning radio bulletins on Radio Cymru are essential listening for farmers throughout Wales and I'm delighted to present him with this award.
"Dei Tomos makes a valuable contribution every morning on Radio Cymru with the latest agricultural news and issues for those working within the farming industry," added Mr Vaughan.
Dei is currently responsible for the farming news on Radio Cymru every morning (Monday to Friday) as well as the Byd Amaeth programme on Saturday mornings which concerns farming, food production and the countryside. He also has a varied programme on Sunday nights which involves history and traditions, heritage, literature, art, music and the Welsh "pethe".
In the past, he has also presented television programmes about nature and wildlife, countryside and leisure, gardening and food as well as agriculture. In May 2009 he was made an Associate of the Royal Agricultural Societies in recognition of his contribution to the promotion of agriculture through the media.
Dei was brought up in Waunfawr and Nantperis, and attended Waunfawr School, Caernarfon Grammar School and Bangor Normal College. He spent 12 years working with Urdd Gobaith Cymru as a county organiser in Montgomeryshire and as the deputy head of the Urdd Centre at Glan-llyn.
He has been active in the world of voluntary organisations concerning the Welsh countryside and is now a Welsh committee member of the National Lottery's Heritage Fund.
He has also been national chairman of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales and remains one of the vice presidents of the organisation. He is also the vice president of the Council for National Parks (CNP).
He was appointed for three terms as a member of the Snowdonia National Park Authority by the Secretary of State for Wales and then was a member of the Countryside Council for Wales for 10 years. This was also an appointment made by the Secretary of State for Wales, initially, and subsequently by the Assembly Government.
Locally, he is a former member and chairman of governors at Ysgol Dolbadarn, Llanberis, and is a former community councillor. For some four years now he has been the clerk of the council.