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From St. Pauli to the farm: Jenny's fight for the future of hay milk!
Find out how Jennifer Johansson and Sven Ole master sustainable hay milk production on their farm in Lower Saxony.
From St. Pauli to the farm: Jenny's fight for the future of hay milk!
A remarkable story has unfolded in the rolling hills of Lower Saxony: Jennifer Johansson, a trained real estate specialist from Hamburg, now lives on a farm in Toppenstedt. There she and her partner Sven Ole took over her parents' farm, which has 50 dairy cows and agricultural land. This happened in 2020 when the couple decided to follow in Sven's parents' footsteps, but with the added baggage of debt that often comes with farming. Coming challenges are already imminent, because the weather plays a crucial role in the hay harvest in midsummer, especially when there is a threat of rain, as [NDR](https://www.ndr.de/ Fernsehenen/versanden/die_nordreportage/von-st-pauli-in-stall,sender-2892.html) reports.
The documentary tells the couple's compelling story from Jenny's first-person perspective as they grapple with the challenges of farming over more than three years. From harvest stress to tractor driving school to bureaucratic hurdles – the camera accompanies them on their journey. Intermittent setbacks such as a fire throw everything into disarray and the couple are forced to find different ways to run the farm, be it through hay milk, organic production, bull fattening or even the idea of a campsite.
North German hay milk as a central challenge
The decision to concentrate on the production of northern German hay milk is no coincidence. This type of milk production is particularly explained by feeding the cows only grass and hay. According to Hof und Markt, hay milk is very popular in Austria, where around 8,000 farmers work in hay production. The hay milk is not only considered to be of high quality, but also combines the concepts of regionality and sustainability. These developments are part of the Austrian identity and contribute significantly to the UN sustainability goals, as ministerial voices emphasize.
Environmental protection plays a central role in hay milk production. ARGE Heumilch is a leader in Europe and is actively committed to sustainable economic practices. It not only brings together around 8,000 hay milk farmers, but also over 100 processors. It is important to the member companies to respect the habitat and use local resources, which leads to greater biodiversity and better quality of products, says Karl Neuhofer, chairman of ARGE Heumilch.
A look into the future
The question of how hay milk can be marketed in the future concerns not only Johannson and Sven Ole, but also the entire industry. The sustainable approaches to hay milk production were analyzed by the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, which compiled the results of the study in the context of the UN SDGs. This study shows that the traditional farming method in hay milk production is certainly adaptable.
While the challenges for many agricultural businesses in the north are becoming ever greater, it remains to be hoped that well-trained young people like Jenny and Sven can not only save the farm, but also make a contribution to sustainable agriculture. Because it seems that innovative solutions are required and the road to success is rocky, but full of possibilities.