Former Federated Farmers’ President honoured in Queen’s Birthday List
Popular Hawke’s Bay farmer and environmentalist Bruce Wills believes his Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List is recognition of the work the farming community is doing to preserve the environment.
Mr Wills, who was National President of Federated Farmers from 2011 to 2014, received the ONZM for services to agriculture and the environment.
Describing himself as “a pretty average farmer trying to do his best with farming and looking after the farm”, Mr Wills said it was “a rather nice surprise when the envelope turned up”.
Mr Wills, whose family went through tragedy when his 77-year-old mother Fiona went missing from his former farm Trelinnoe Station in 2014, says that, as any mother would, she would have been proud of him receiving this award.
Being recognised was “pretty special”, especially because the award was bracketed with his contribution to agriculture and the environment.
“For about 15 odd years I've been involved in politics and various governance roles and I've pushed pretty hard on the need for the farming community to continue pulling up our socks around the way we look after our water and the land.”
“Many farmers do just that, and so it's pretty special that I'm just one of many farmers that spend a lot of our farming time looking after the environmental side of the business. I'm the lucky one to be recognised for being able to boost the environment and run a successful farming practice because, to me, they're flip sides of the same coin.”
Mr Wills has held key leadership roles in shaping and guiding the sheep, beef and wool industries, as well as in apiculture, horticulture and deer farming.
During his tenure as National President of Fed Farmers, he rebuilt the organisation’s membership and led the farming sector in a new strategic direction to address farming’s environmental footprint.
He has been a past Trustee of the Todd Foundation, Hawke’s Bay’s ecological restoration and pest control programme Cape to City, and the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust.
He currently chairs Apiculture New Zealand, Queen Elizabeth II National Trust Board, Motu Economic Public Policy Research and the Primary Industry Training Organisation’s Transitional Board.
He is also a past Chair of the New Zealand Poplar and Willow Research Trust and the East Coast Balance Farm Environment Awards. Added to this, Mr Will is a director of Ravensdown and two of New Zealand’s National Science Challenges, Our Land and Water and Resilience to Nature’s Challenges; and a director of Horticulture New Zealand.
He has represented New Zealand on international farming and trade forums as a Board member of the World Farming Organisation.
Mr Wills says there have been several highlights in his life, but a big one has been to see how the “conversation and actions have changed over the last decade or so”.
“It's just fabulous what I see. One of my roles, as you'll see on that list is Chair of the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust Board, I see farmers lining up to protect special pieces of biodiversity, special pieces of bush on their land. I see farmers flat tack all winter, planting, fencing streams and planting their waterways, creating wetlands, doing all sorts of wonderful things.”
One frustration for him is that this hard work is often not recognised because many of these actions “go on up metal driveways and behind hillsides”.
“I think they're never recognized by many of our critics across the country. So, to get an award like this is a real buzz.”
Regarding the ONZM honour which was officially announced today, Mr Wills says he has kept it secret from his family and friend for months.
“I was sworn to secrecy but the Governor-General, and I've known about this for some time. But it's never easy like this when you aren't able to tell partners and family bits and pieces, so it'll be nice to share that when it's officially announced.”
“Yeah, I've got four children, and I know they're just going to give me grief because they're going to say, ‘What the sheep's beard? Why didn't you tell us?’ And I'll have a lot of fun just telling them, ‘Well, but the Queen said... And there was the Governor-General...’ I'm sure I’ll get a lot of flack over it, but…”
However they find out, Mr Wills’ new farm, a horticulture and vineyard block at Roy’s Hill and overlooking Trinity Hill Winery is sure to be full of well-wishers today.
