"I’m the only one who currently gets up today and puts work boots on and goes and chases sheep and cattle and drives my tractor,’’ said the Milton farmer and 2017 Young Farmer of the Year, about the Primary Sector Council he is a member of.
Last week, the council released its vision, "Fit for a Better World’’, for New Zealand’s primary industries sectors to become world leaders in sustainability.
The council said the vision was about providing the world’s most discerning consumers with outstanding, ethically produced food, natural fibres, drinks, co-products and bio-products.
Mr Woodhead is the lone working farmer and the only person under the age of 40 on the council.
"I’ve felt an obligation on behalf of those of us out in the industry who are actually out there doing the hard work day to day on-farm to remain on the PSC [Primary Sector Council] and have my voice heard.’’
He first joined in 2017 as an observer and soon moved up to a full, voting position.
Mr Woodhead said the vision was a way of driving the numerous industries forward.
"The food and fibres sector in New Zealand had no cohesion.
"There was a huge amount of commonality amongst what everyone was trying to do ... there was no common shining of a light, or no common goals, if that makes sense.’’
The idea for a vision came from Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor.
"The minister said: ‘Look, I reckon the industry needs a vision that’s put together by respected people in the industry that everyone can get in behind and that gives the industry and gives people and businesses something to coalesce around in their decision-making that’s completely common, that’s agreed upon by the whole industry’,’’ Mr Woodhead said.
He said the stakeholders of various industries had all agreed to give their opinions to help craft the vision.
When he spoke of being the only working farmer on the council, Mr Woodhead said that was not to be taken as a criticism of the other members.
"This process was extremely high level and required a certain level of expertise and they’re the people that Damien [O’Connor] shoulder-tapped.
"[There are] plenty of people on the Primary Sector Council who own farming businesses and who actually are farmers and who have done the nitty gritty on the farms."
Mr Woodhead farms 400ha of land south of Milton with about 3000 sheep and about 60 Friesian bulls.
He had high hopes for the vision and how it would affect the average farmer, fisherman or other type of primary industry sector worker.
"We have been deliberately future-focused and quite progressive in our vision,’’ Mr Woodhead said.
"This isn’t just same-same what’s happened in the past. This is actually going to move us forward and things will happen differently to how they’ve happened in the past.
"It’s meant to be a shining light out in the distance saying, ‘That’s what I want to get to’ and then on a personal level, ‘This is what I’m going to do today, tomorrow and next year to get there’.
"Because it’s all about being ready for an amazing future.’’
