Naturally the female hop, as every grower knows. And who caps the hop and brewing industry not only with charm but also with competence? Naturally women, who now have long been key players in this business. Women are pulling their weight in all areas und functions.
For example, Elisabeth Stiglmaier, who is qualified hop ambassador has been guiding visitors for many years on the Stiglmaier Farm in Attenhofen and showing them all aspects of the work of hop growers.
Last July I joined one of these adventure tours and was amazed by her commitment and how the hop grower put her heart and soul into telling the visitors all sorts of interesting things about the growing, harvesting and drying, storing and marketing of hops.
When Elisabeth Stiglmaier met her husband 26 years ago at a dance, she was still working as a children`s nurse in Landshut. Then came the wedding, family and life on a large farm in the Hallertau. The 4 children grew up and the farmer`s wife was on the look out for a new challenge. Then an offer from the department of agriculture came just at the right time.
It encouraged farmers to establish a second mainstay in addition to agriculture to ensure the family income and offered various training courses to this effect.
She trained as one of nineteen hop ambassadors in the Hallertau and is now happy that her appointment calendar is full.
A great help here of course is her natural talent for telling authentic stories of the hallertau seasoned with a big portion of “Heimatgefühl” (down-home feeling). 

Autor: Stefanie Pokorny