From Seedling to Harvest: The Strong Link Behind Our Cabbage
Around 460,000 cabbage plants on 20 hectares of land and planning that begins in the depths of winter: behind our sauerkraut lies precise logistics and reliable craftsmanship. André Stalder plays a key role in this. With his contracting business in neighboring Attiswil, he supports the development of our Swiss vegetables throughout the year.
A partnership that grew step by step
The collaboration between Schöni and the family-run Stalder business began twelve years ago. Back then, André Stalder took over the disposal of preparation waste and the transport of cabbage water. These first tasks gradually developed into a close partnership. Today, the contract business that Stalder runs together with his wife and two sons works for Schöni all year round. The foundation for this is a shared set of values: both businesses are deeply rooted in the region, value honest dealings, and rely on long-term trust.
In use all year round
Work for the coming cabbage harvest begins as early as January. Together with regional producers, Stalder coordinates varieties and ripeness levels and organizes the ordering of seedlings. Between May and June, thousands of plants are then put into the ground. When harvest starts in August, the team is in constant action: with harvesters, conveyor belts, and when needed, by hand, the cabbage is collected and transported over short distances to Oberbipp.
At the same time, and for almost the entire year, the operation in Attiswil takes care of washing and calibrating the beets. Whether directly from the field or from cold storage, the roots are thoroughly cleaned and precisely sorted by size at the Attiswil facility before moving on to further processing. This process runs for almost the whole year—only in June and July does the beet washing pause briefly, exactly when intensive care in the cabbage fields requires full attention.
I regularly go out to the farmers in the fields to support them and get stuck in together. It’s simply a pleasure to see how all that effort ultimately becomes a really great product.
A point of contact with a commitment to the best product
In his daily work, André Stalder stands exactly at the interface between the farmers and Schöni. On the fields, the focus is on weather fluctuations and harvest conditions, while production requires reliable quality. As the liaison, Stalder mediates with sensitivity, always guided by his highest credo: transparency and fair, equal partnership.
What drives him is the ambition to always bring the best product to the table. This is also reflected in his strong inventive spirit: Stalder is rarely satisfied with the status quo and likes to think two harvests ahead. His vision for the future is to have his own test fields to trial new, more resilient cabbage varieties directly on site—for optimal yields in the field, fair conditions for farmers, and the highest quality for Schöni.
