We have spoken to 5 of our producers to get a deeper insight of what is truly going on for small businesses during this period of time. Some of the answers may surprise you! But one thing is sure, each one of them (and all the others as well) are far from feeling defeated against this situation. Sure, we all have a hard time, but we should use this time to work on things that we’ll be able to use when all of this ends
La Ferme des 3 Epis – LS
La Ferme des Trois Epis is not your usual farm. It is first and foremost a quality and ethics guarantee and puts a strong focus on being as eco-friendly as possible. Their hens thrive on free-range farming and home-made food. In addition, their PEP (Proof of Ecological Performance) farming system allows them to push this even further by joining agroecology and agroforestry which, in turn, promotes the presence of auxiliaries (such as mushroom, earthworms, bees, bats…), protecting the soils and crops.
And what would be an eco-friendly farm without taking action on electricity as well? In fact, they have 1300 sqm solar panels, allowing them to not only produce renewable electric power, but enough to ensure all of their needs in that regard. Last but definitely not least, each day, each egg passes through a quality check before being packaged and delivered thanks to electric cars.
All of this is fantastic and definitely qualifies for being a quality producer on farmy.ch however, how does the current situation impact them?
Luckily, some industries are less impacted than others by the current situation. In fact, this situation doesn’t change the behaviour of animals and life for them continues as per usual. La Ferme des Trois Epis keeps on taking care of their crops as it is not something you can stop. You need to keep on flowing with it, regardless of the crisis. They continue to supply shops however they have completely stopped, for now, individual deliveries. This is of course, in order to follow the security and hygiene measures set up by the Swiss government. Some customers go to them to buy eggs and other products (honey, fruits, nuts…) but it does not represent the majority. Hence, to keep on supplying their loyal customer despite this unusual situation, La Ferme des Trois Epis relies on third parties such as Farmy.
Christian Boillat – LS
With 6 shops & tea rooms, Christian Boillat is the perfect place to spend some time with your loved ones. With over 20 years of experience, their products are will for sure satisfy the pickiest of you. Its broad assortment ranges from handmade pastries and sweet treats, ice-creams, truffles, chocolate bars to the bakery side with all the breakfast choice you can think of. For those of you who prefer savoury treats, they have you covered! Their lunch selection of salads, soups and sandwiches made daily will allow you to truly enjoy your mid-day break.
Unfortunately, the current situation and the measures implemented by the government don’t allow their tea rooms to remain open. However, even though it is now just to go, their shops are still open and uphold the safety distance. Wishing you could eat these delicacies without the need to leave the house? We have the answer! Check out the assortment we have for you.
Nonetheless, this crisis still impacts the production. In fact, any production related to business lunches or events has completely stopped. And so has the supply of restaurants. The overall production has seen a strong shift towards bakery at the expenses of all sweet treats and desserts, the latter being non-essential goods. Still, Christian Boillat wishes to continue on supplying (directly or indirectly) its customers with a product assortment as wide as possible.
Käsers Schloss – ZH
The name is misleading: At the Käsers Schloss, no milk products are produced, but spirits are. And that on the highest level. Because the award-winning distillates, among which is the Whisky Castle, belong to the best in Europe – and to the most creative worldwide. For five generations, the family has lived in Elfingen, distilling nearly everything, from garlic to pears, as long as a high standard is maintained! Because the quality of the harvest sets the basis for a good spirit, the Käser brothers only use quality products, most favorably from their own farm.
As for many companies producing less essential goods, the distillery has witnessed a strong decrease in its sales, and therefore production. Mainly, the family has no other choice than shifting their marketing efforts towards different opportunities. Since 1952, they used to go to the Aarau market, seeing their customers and exchanging ideas with them, unfortunately today this isn’t possible. They are now focusing more on online content such as Facebook and Instagram, which comes with trial and error as it is a new thing for them. In addition, they try to draw as much attention as possible to their online shop as well as their physical shop in the viaduct, which is still open.
Despite all of this, the Käser family tries to find the positive aspect of this: “We are now trying to use the time and work on new products that we can offer when this whole thing is over” adding that “it is an important experience for all of us who are used to always being able to buy everything at any time”. Truly, this situation shows that not everything can always be planned but it is important to be able to react and be grateful for all the upstream work, making this situation a bit less difficult that it could have been.
Let’s support excellence and tradition, and if you can’t go to them, have a look at the assortment they offer on our website.
Dörig & Brandl – ZH
The fish specialists have been working with quality sea and sea products for over forty years. In order to guarantee the consistently high quality, the employees of the fish dealer based in Schlieren visit the local partners, define the quality standards and ensure a seamless cold chain thanks to direct import. Personal responsibility, regular analyzes and control measures are just as much a part of this as personal contact with fishermen, breeders and production companies.
This crisis doesn’t spare anyone or anything. Due to the lack of sales, Dörig & Brandl unfortunately had to register short-time work and continue with operations with fewer human resources. However, the operational team puts all its efforts into ensuring continuous supply during this unusual period. “Our primary goal is the protection of our employees, but also the safety of our customers”. The company understands that they are not the only ones in difficulty and would rather use their position as suppliers of essential goods to support the community, be it cusstomers, hospitals, army, police, canteens… by supplying them with fresh fish.
It is during these difficult times that the importance of being loyal to their expertise and profession strikes even stronger. “We keep on supporting our customers with our product knowledge ad maintain close and friendly partnership with our long-term suppliers, which allows us to continuously import fresh fish”. Indeed, the economic impact will be great and Dörig & Brandl hopes that the help of the government will help them cushion some of the revenue loss. Despite this, they try to have a positive look on the whole situation: “Unfortunately, the long-term consequences are difficult to predict. But we remain optimistic even during this time: the crisis will further strengthen the operational structure. Nevertheless, we will be very happy when the crisis is over and the work can be done normally”.
Jucker Farm – ZH
That a good farmer is also a successful businessman is proven by the award-winning Jucker Farm, owned by the brothers Beat and Martin Jucker. The best apples and berries grow on their beautiful farmyards in Seegräben, Jona and Rafz, along with other regional products. And from the asparagus farm in Rafz, they supply Switzerland with their delicate asparaguses and pumpkins. Because the Juckers like to share their passion for cultivating, they transformed their yard into an adventure farm: so that everyone can come and get a taste of fresh, natural and even handpicked food.
Before the shutdown, Jucker Farm decided to close the catering business as they expected this to happen and used their time wisely to convert their event space into expanded farm shops. Unfortunately, despite the boom in sales of the farm shops as many customers go to them for their weekly shopping, the sales from events can hardly be replaced, which means daily loss of money… This is not the only issue related to the current situation that the farm is facing. In fact, harvest season has just started and there is the possibility that many foreign seasonal workers won’t be able to come and help, as they would usually do. To try and counter this, they have set up a platform with Coople to find enough helpers.
In addition, they set up a TakeAway concept. First and foremost, with the oversupply of food that was originally meant for catering and events, this concept allows to minimize food waste as well as offering alternatives to people who all of a sudden need to cook every day for the whole family. They try their best to create as many sales channels as possible to keep on supplying their customers, which is why they have also set up an improvized pop-up store. Last but not least “it is gratifying” for them to see that the online market is also booming. “We hope that people will increasingly buy directly from us farmers even after the crisis! It could prove to be a long-term opportunity for direct sales. And of course we hope that after the crisis people will come back to our restaurant, brunch as much as possible, marry, celebrate events and simply enjoy nature in our beautiful courtyards again! It hurts to see the courtyards so empty…”
What do you think?