Farmfluencers of South Tyrol

„Farmfluencers” are farmers that practise regenerative and sustainable agriculture. The project „Farmfluencers of South Tyrol” aims to establish inspiring audiovisual storytelling of their work, bridge the gap between farmers and citizens, and encourage both to take responsibility for their land. This growing network of „Farmfluencers“ supports farmers to break unknown ground together. By increasing attention to their work, the project wants to foster a growing number of Community Supported Agriculture in urban areas.

The project was born because the current agri-food system leaves farmers with the choice of exploiting either themselves or the ecosystem. It is based on an eco-social Design master thesis which presents the current state of agriculture in and around South Tyrol using mixed methods from design research, qualitative research and anthropology.

Meike Hollnaicher is an eco-social designer who grew up on a small farm in Germany. Initially, she worked in the field of communication and design before returning to her roots and now focusing on the potential of agriculture in the climate crisis. As part of her master’s thesis, which she completed summa cum laude at the Free University of Bolzano in November 2020, she founded the project “Farmfluencers of South Tyrol”. For one and a half years she was the project manager for a trade fair about agricultural direct marketing at Fiera Bolzano. She now works independently as a graphic designer and content creator and is involved in several projects in the field of sustainability and agriculture.

Thomas Schäfer is a cooking enthusiast and filmmaker, passionate about wild herbs, fermentation and everything to do with food. Since 2019, the native of Pustertal has been working independently as a filmmaker and photographer. He finds his passion and task in telling encouraging stories of people who actively and with heart contribute to the eco-social transformation through their lives and work.