Hannah Gothje Christiansen, dairy farmer & influencer, Schleswig-Holstein (Germany)
She’s blond, pierced and tattooed and she posts images of herself holding a chainsaw or driving a tractor. At 27, Hannah Gothje Christiansen from Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, is changing the perception of what people expect a farmer, hunter or forestry worker all on her own. With a following of over 28.000 on Instagram, her honest approach of social media is clearly appreciated. Women in Ag had a talk with Hannah.
We’d hope things are changing as we near the end of 2024, but when people think of a farmer, a forestry worker or anyone working a physically demanding job, they often still picture a big, muscular man. That’s why young ag influencers like Hannah Gothje Christiansen, who challenge this stereotype, are so important. Through her Instagram page, Hannah gives her followers a view of her daily life as a dairy farmer in a small, rural village of northern Germany.
Hi Hannah, please introduce yourself!
My name is Gothje-Hannah Christiansen, I am twenty-seven years old and come from Nord Friesland in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. I was born and raised here and have never been too far away from my home town. I currently work on the family dairy farm: we have a herd of dairy cows and breed our own cows.
Tell us a little more about your geographic situation.
I live in the northernmost state of Germany on the Jutland peninsula, with the Wadden Sea National Park just twenty kilometres from my town and fifteen kilometres from the Danish border. This is a very rural area and agriculture is important throughout the entire peninsula. It’s the same for my village even though it is a relatively large village close to the city, we still live in a very rural area.
My father is the second or third generation on the farm and I grew up here. We are dairy farmers, but local agriculture here consists of a wide variety of specialties. We have everything, from potatoes and cereals to livestock farms in the area.
Why did you decide to go on Instagram and how do you share about agriculture there?
Actually, I started using Instagram during my training as a carpenter! Initially, it was just for fun and I kept the account once I started working on the farm. I don’t know that I have one fixed way of sharing, other then simply showing how agriculture is practiced today in our area and how diverse this work is. That this is not just petting cows and driving big machines, but that there is a lot of passion and also heartache involved, especially when you work with animals. That there are real people behind it, people who produce your food, and that they sacrifice a lot of time to do it. That producing food means working very long hours, every day of the week.
My account is a colourful mix of farming, tractor driving, tree cutting, firefighting and all the other activities I do. It’s not just agriculture but a view into my everyday life, the simple things but above all the real life of a young person with a more than full-time job. I’m really showing how I live. I think what distinguishes my online presence is that I stay myself. I’m not pretending to be someone important but rather showing that I am just like the other people from this region.
How do you handle negative comments?
It really depends on the context and tone of the comment to me. Many people simply don’t know any better, don’t understand what we do or know little about agriculture. When a negative comment comes from a place of not being (well) informed, I try to remain objective and friendly. Depending on the interaction, I might choose to engage in a discussion and present arguments. We can all learn something with, and from, each other, in my opinion. If, however, the comment turns to insults or I can clearly see that it’s very negative and the person is not interested in a discussion, I ignore or block. You don’t have to put up with everything just because you have a social media profile, you know.
Do you think you have influenced people for the better by being online?
I don’t think this is just about me anymore. Today, so many farmers are active on social media that I really do think there is a shift in mindsets. I see it in the many positive messages people send me, telling me that doing what I do requires strength, that they admire me for doing this work and thank me for informing them when asked about something they knew nothing about. You need to keep in mind that there’s a lot of people out there who just don’t know anything about agriculture and therefore don’t understand what they read or see. We are born in this profession and/or have studied for it, so we think it’s all evident. It isn’t, not for everyone. Sometimes all it takes is answering people’s questions and providing context.
Do you feel women are treated differently in agriculture? What do you think could be done about it?
Definitely. I often notice just how little young women are trusted in this industry, myself included. Now I understand that men objectively have more physical strength. That’s just the way it is. What people don’t see however is that when I don’t have the physical strength to do a job, I have learned to use my head instead and think of a solution to get the job done without brute force. There is usually another way to get things done and if not, I’m never ashamed to ask for help. Besides, us women can shine in other tasks where men might not be as skilful.
One way of creating equality could, in my opinion, be to offer feed bags that are not quite so large so that women can carry them on their own. That would be a good step towards inclusivity.
What is your advice for young women and girls who dream of a career in agriculture?
Just go for it! Don’t let yourself to be stopped just because you are insecure or because someone is trying to talk you out of it, it could be the best decision of your life. Once you’ve made it, a world will open for you. Go for an apprenticeship, get that degree. You only live once.
My best advice for you is to stay true to who you are. Stay real and stick to the truth. Don’t hide behind something you’re not. But above all, be proud of yourself and of what you do: you are feeding the world. Everybody eats and they need you for that. You can be very proud of that.
You can follow Hannah’s adventures here
