Birlihof Farm: Herbs for the Next Generation
Hans Hofer and his son Beat cultivate 8 different types of herbs on their farm, Birlihof, in Melchnau – six of them for Ricola. What Hans carefully built up with dedication and innovation is now being carried forward by his son Beat.
The Birlihof farm has a long history dating back to the 18th century, and it also has a promising future. Beat Hofer is the next generation to take over the farm. In addition to supplying Ricola with Swiss Alpine herbs, the Hofer family also cultivates medicinal herbs as well as wildflower seeds. What makes Birlihof Farm special is not only the variety of herbs that grow on 2.5 hectares, but also its use of solar energy. Around half of the farm’s total electricity consumption is covered by solar panels installed on the roofs of Birlihof. This includes the power used for the herb drying facility.
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The switch to herb cultivation
Hans and Beat designed and built the drying facility. Hans also converted the farm from livestock breeding and field crops to herb cultivation more than 20 years ago. “It was one of the best decisions of my life”, he says about the transition. This wasn't just driven by his love of herbs; it also made economic sense. “We wanted to optimize our production with added value. It makes more sense to concentrate on labor-intensive crops, such as herbs, that generate substantial value.”
Herb farmers and inventors
The expertise of Hans and Beat Hofer extends beyond herbs – they are also inventive mechanics and designers. There is a well-equipped mechanical workshop at the Birlihof, where the Hofers tinker, weld, and build things. “We're both trained agricultural machinery mechanics,” explains Hans. “So we can customize our equipment to our needs. And we also build our own machines.” This is how the herb harvesting machine in the shed came to be. Beat smiles: “It is really unique. A lot of experience and technical knowledge has gone into this piece of machinery.”
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A solid partnership
Innovation is as much a part of the Birlihof farm as herb cultivation. The herb-drying facility is just one example of this commitment to innovation. Drying herbs requires a lot of energy, but thanks to Hans Hofer’s ingenuity, the photovoltaic system makes a significant contribution to the farm’s sustainable energy balance. “Building the herb-drying facility was a significant investment for us,” says Hans Hofer. “Thanks to our solid and fair partnership with Ricola, we were able to implement such a facility.” Today, a substantial proportion of the herbs grown at other farms in the Melchnau region are dried at the Birlihof farm.
With hands and hearts
Despite mechanical support, hands-on work remains crucial for cultivating herbs. Even the Hofers could not invent a weeding machine that is good enough to remove weeds completely. When asked whether robots might one day take over weeding, Beat Hofer shakes his head. “The robots work well in flat terrain with vegetable crops. However, they are not yet designed for uneven and steep terrain. In addition, robots are very expensive in relation to our small alpine herb crops.” Therefore, Hans and Beat Hofer rely on a well-coordinated team of flexible employees from the surrounding area. “We care for our herbs with machines, our hands and our hearts. That's not a job for robots.”
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