Summer bliss – fragrant plant fields in Uster

10.7.25

When the workday at farfalla begins in rubber boots or a sun hat, it means: fieldwork ! Then the accounting, marketing, management, and customer service teams meet amidst lavender, peppermint, and other herbs in the fragrant plant fields of the Wagerenhof farm in Uster. There, they weed, tend, and harvest together – for the production of our own essential oils from Swiss cultivation .

Summer bliss from Uster – where lavender and peppermint grow for farfalla

Sustainable partnership with social added value

Since 2020, farfalla, together with the Wagerenhof Foundation , a social institution for people with disabilities, has been cultivating organic aromatic plants directly on-site in Uster. This fulfills a long-held dream: producing essential oils in their own Swiss facility .

The employees of Wagerenhof cultivate the plants with great dedication and pride. For them, working in the fields is a meaningful activity in nature; for farfalla, it represents sustainability in practice, encompassing three key aspects. – ecological, social and regional.

From seedling to distillation

Following initial test plots with lavender and peppermint in 2020, the first successful distillation of essential oils in Uster took place in 2021 – despite a wet summer, yielding excellent analytical results. Today, over 30,000 organic plants from a French organic seed company grow right in the heart of Uster.

Harvest time

The fragrant harvest of robust organic peppermint arrived at the large distillation plant in August 2023. This plant, perched high above the town and Lake Greifensee in Uster Castle, is just a few minutes' walk from farfalla. On a hot summer day, the farfalla founders and employees of the Wagerenhof farm worked hand in hand. While essential oil and floral water were produced in the steam distillation process, wisps of peppermint aroma drifted down the castle hill.

A shower gel as a symbol of lived sustainability

The first product from this unique collaboration is the Summer Bliss shower gel – our summer product for 2024. It contains essential oil from Uster peppermint, combined with fresh citrus notes. A refreshing shower experience that awakens the senses and makes the connection between nature, humanity, and sensuality tangible. In 2025, it will be complemented by a body lotion and the wonderful natural perfume "Sun Bliss."

"The connection to the essential oil grows in a special way when one has had experiences with the plant from seedling to harvest and distillation."

What is being created in Uster is far more than a fragrance – it is summer happiness for everyone and an example of how local organic farming and social responsibility can come together.