Ballerina Farm

Hannah Neeleman
Born	Hannah Wright (1990-06-25) June 25, 1990 Springville, Utah, U.S.
Alma mater	Juilliard School
Occupation	Social media influencer
Spouse	Daniel Neeleman ​ (m. 2011)​
Children	8
Relatives	David Neeleman, father in law

Hannah Neeleman (née Wright) (born June 25, 1990) is a social media influencer and business owner recognized by the social media handle, Ballerina Farm. Neeleman is known for posting about homemaking, farming, and raising eight children. Ballerina Farm is also the name of Neeleman’s farm in Kamas, Utah, and her online store.

Social media

As of 2024, Neeleman has acquired 10 million Instagram followers and 9.8 million TikTok followers. She is considered a tradwife on social media, an aesthetic and lifestyle emblematic of mid-century housewives, though she does not personally identify with the label. She is frequently seen wearing vintage-style dresses and gingham aprons, earning her comparisons to Ma from Little House on the Prairie. Neeleman’s home cooking videos are set in her rustic kitchen, where she prepares recipes from scratch, often using farm-fresh ingredients. Her forest green Aga cast-iron stove, named Agnes, is a striking feature of her kitchen. Other videos on Neeleman’s TikTok center around her family or farm life.

The New York Times wrote that Ballerina Farm was "simultaneously one of the most popular social media stars in the country and a lightning rod for criticism." Hannah Neeleman has been criticized for romanticizing traditional gender roles, failing to publicly display the farm's hired employees, and not acknowledging the family's financial privilege. Viewers have speculated that the family is probably not living off the profits of the farm and have pointed out that their home's stove, which Hannah says she purchased used, retails for about $20,000 and their property was listed for $2.75 million when they purchased it in 2018.

Farm and business operations

Neeleman purchased her 328-acre farm in 2018 after returning to Utah after years abroad. While living in Brazil, the Neeleman's discovered their shared passion for farm life after spending time in farm hotels. The farm's name, suggested by Neeleman's older brother, is inspired by her background as a professional ballerina. Neeleman considers herself the founder and chief executive of Ballerina Farm. Neeleman's husband, Daniel, suggested the couple were "co-CEOs" during an interview with The Times, to which Neeleman agreed.

Neeleman raises cattle, chickens, sheep, pigs, and other livestock. Neeleman raises cattle and pigs as part of the farm's meat packing operations, where the packaged meat is sold on her online store. The Ballerina Farm store sells a range of other products including pre-packaged baked goods, beeswax candles, honey, sourdough starter, kitchen supplies, clothing, and flowers grown in Ecuador, and more. Three full-time workers assist in the day-to-day operations of Ballerina farm, while thirty are employed at a warehouse and ten in an office. Neeleman had commented in 2024 that about 90% of products are exported out of Utah.

In a 2024 interview with The New York Times, Neeleman said that she intends to expand the Ballerina Farm brand. Ballerina Farm’s annexation for the opening of a 14-acre agricultural tourism site on the main highway in Kamas was unanimously approved at the Kamas City Council on 27 Aug 2024, which is now currently under construction. An opening date has not yet been announced. Plans include a Ballerina Farm store, where visitors will be able to purchase perishable farm goods and online bestsellers. The planned dairy building and creamery includes production of milk, ice cream and butter.

Personal life

Neeleman grew up in a Mormon family of nine children in Springville, Utah. Her parents owned a flower shop. At the age of 14, she attended a Juilliard School summer ballet program. Two years later, she received a scholarship to Brigham Young University’s theatre ballet program and finished her university ballet studies at Juilliard School in New York City.

Neeleman met her husband, Daniel, in Utah, and they got engaged three weeks later. On her website, Neeleman writes that she met Daniel during the summer break preceding her senior year at Juilliard. Daniel is also a Mormon, and grew up in a family of nine children. He is the son of David Neeleman, who founded five airlines including JetBlue and led efforts to take TAP Air Portugal private.

The couple spent several years living in Brazil for Daniel's corporate job as director of home security company, Vigzul, which was founded by his father. Upon returning to the United States, Daniel attended business school at the University of Utah while serving on the board of a different security company. They spent three years looking for farmland and initially purchased a different farm in 2017 prior to purchasing Ballerina Farm in 2018.

Neeleman told The New York Times that the family hires a personal assistant, a homeschool teacher for five of her school-aged children, and an occasional babysitter. Hannah and Daniel have a total of eight children, with three sons and five daughters. The youngest of their children is nine months and the eldest is twelve years. The couple continue to practice Mormonism as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Pageants

Neeleman competed in the Miss New York pageant while a Juilliard School ballet student. After getting married and having children, she competed in the Mrs. America competition and was crowned Mrs. Utah in 2021. In 2023, she competed as Mrs. South Dakota and was crowned Mrs. American (which is a separate pageant from Mrs. America, though both are run by Elaine Marmel, an 86-year-old who additionally heads the Mrs. World competition). She appeared on stage in Las Vegas less than two weeks after giving birth to her eighth child. Her answer to a question about female empowerment attracted attention from conservative media: "After I hold that newborn baby in my arms ... the feeling of motherhood and bringing them to the earth is the most empowering feeling I have ever felt."

External links

• Official website