Cirencester dairy farmer, Austin Russell, was announced as the winner of this year's Farming with Nature Award in the M&S Select Farm Awards at the Royal Welsh Show.

The judges commended him for his commitment to supporting wildlife and increasing biodiversity on his farm.

Alongside his mother, Lesley, Austin runs a 240-head pedigree Holstein herd and has been supplying milk to M&S for three years.

In 2021, the farm became part of the M&S Indicator Farm network - a group of farms which is trialling and measuring the benefits of specific environmental initiatives and sharing this learning with the wider supply base.

The 860-acre farm is carefully managed to ensure it both produces a high-quality product and creates habitats for local wildlife. This has included restoring several ponds and overgrown areas, establishing grass borders in all fields and ceasing the use of blanket worming treatments to benefit soil microorganisms.

Austin Russell said: "Through collaborative efforts with wildlife experts, we are continuously working on ways in which our land can better support more wildlife.

"We are always asking questions such as 'what can we do within the rotation, or within that particular growing season, to help our wildlife?'"

On working with M&S, he said: "It's rewarding to work with a retailer who really values the effort we put into looking after our cows and supports us to continually improve."

Steve McLean, head of agriculture and fisheries at M&S, said: "Every day, our Select Farmers and suppliers go to extraordinary lengths to deliver great quality M&S food, whilst demonstrating best-in-class innovation, animal welfare, sustainability and biodiversity.

"We are delighted to be working closely with our Indicator Farms to trial new approaches through our Farming with Nature programme and share best practice across the industry. Austin has embraced the programme and has shown commitment to enhancing the biodiversity of his farm, while also proudly supplying quality milk."