Who is Zoyd Wheeler from Vineland and what is their importance?

Zoyd Wheeler is an unemployed former hippie surfer from the 1960s who in 1984 lives in Northern California near the town of Vineland. He lives in a house of his own construction with his 14-year-old daughter, Prairie. He makes money performing odd carpentry jobs and by selling crayfish caught in the creeks around his home to restaurants. He also receives regular mental disability checks from the government.