The first woman to lead the Federated Farmers’ arable section is a self-confessed townie who married into farming.
“When I give talks at meetings I often start with my I’m a townie confession. Rural provincial townie, not a city slicker,” arable section chairwoman Karen Williams says.
“My journey to industry leadership has been largely driven by my background in resource management.”
Williams and her husband Mick farm arable, sheep and beef in Wairarapa.
“Before I married a farmer I was writing policy, mainly for local authorities, then when children came along I got more involved with the farm.”
That involvement turned back the wheels on her resource management background when increasing environmental regulations posed new challenges for farmers.
About the same time the couple were involved in the Ballance Farm Environmental Awards, emerging the Wellington regional winners in 2013.
“That kicked off more interest in this space of profitable and sustainable farming. It was a meeting of the minds where my resource management and farming immersed.”
A friend also had a key influence on Williams’ leadership journey.
“My friend Charmaine O’Shea had just done the Agri Women’s Development Escalator programme and she encouraged me to apply.”
Taking on the challenge Williams successfully applied and completed the programme in 2015.
Escalator is an established leadership and governance programme for women involved in primary industries and rural communities.
It equips them with the tools, confidence and support they need to successfully lead and govern in their chosen fields.
“Escalator has been a game changer for me. It has given me a huge amount of self-belief and enabled me to extend my networks.”
The journey is a personal one and Williams said the learnings and opportunities from Escalator have enabled her to step up her role in primary industries and as a board member for Federated Farmers.
“The growth in my own abilities has had a direct and positive influence in our own farm business and in board and meeting rooms to participate, challenge and ensure positive outcomes for agriculture.
“A big part of Escalator for me was I wanted to add value to agriculture.
“I could see the challenges coming and through my resource management background I could see a role for me.”
Before Williams structured her path the pea weevil pest raised its ugly head in her region.
A governance group was formed to deal with the disease on behalf of Wairarapa farmers.
Williams was invited to be part of that group.
“That’s when this little thing called pea weevil took over my life.
“I was the only one at the table with skin in the game. It was challenging leadership sitting on a group making very important decisions.
“I supported the move to eradicate and we will eradicate and I am very proud of that.
“It’s been a tough road and we are not there yet with issues still around the payments (to farmers) but we will get there.”
For her efforts Williams was awarded the inaugural Biosecurity Farmer of the Year award in 2017.
In June 2018 she was elected as the first woman to head the Feds arable section and was also appointed to Federated Farmers national board.
Her goal in national leadership is to raise the profile of agriculture in Wellington and raise the arable flag in the primary industries.
“It’s big picture stuff and the next step is not only that we exist but what we do and the primary agenda item for that is to develop strategy to sell that we can be a solution to agriculture’s environmental and nutritional challenges.”
That and the four key environmental challenges ahead – water, biodiversity, climate change and biosecurity – will keep Williams away from hands-on farming for a while yet.
“I have had to step out of my farming role to make this possible and I have a huge shout-out to my husband and family who support me through all this as I couldn’t do it without them.”
With three children aged form 10 to 16 years family life is just busy enough.
“I am not getting as much time with the kids as I’d like but I’m still co-coaching the hockey team.”
Get in now
Applications for the 10th anniversary Escalator programme 2020 are now open.
Each year 14 women are selected for the programme that runs from February to November.
Application forms can be downloaded at www.awdt.org.nz
They close on September 13.
