Scent Travel Report Switzerland

Peppermint and lavender
Summer bliss (not only) for Uster

Lavender and peppermint

Aromatic plants: Lavender, peppermint
Growing region: Uster, ZH, Switzerland
Cultivation partnership since: 2020
Cultivated area: approx. 3000m2
Special features: Cultivation partnership with the Wagerenhof Foundation, an institution in Uster with over 100 years of history that provides a loving home for people with intellectual disabilities.

When the workday begins in rubber boots or a sun hat, it means: time to head out into the fields. Farfalla teams from accounting and marketing, management and customer service meet early in the morning amidst organic lavender seedlings, peppermint plants and unwanted weeds.

Because then it's time to weed the fragrant plant fields at Wagerenhof – and volunteers from farfalla's headquarters are both welcome and plentiful. After all, farfalla's own fragrant plant fields, which they run together with the Wagerenhof Foundation, make the work for the aromatherapy pioneer even more aromatic.

A liaison between sustainable agriculture and social commitment.

Farfalla has been cultivating aromatic plants in distant Madagascar since 2012, and for about ten years, lavender, thyme, and other herbs were also grown, harvested, and distilled in the organic village of Correns in France. However, when their local partner passed away, the decision was made to process aromatic plants from local fields in the future and to bring the distillation equipment to Switzerland. And so... to make the world of fragrant plants even more accessible not only for all "farfallas" at the headquarters in Uster, but also for participants of the farfalla academy and all visitors.

Educational work and organic farming

Farfalla had long dreamed of producing their own essential oils locally in Switzerland. With the Wagerenhof Foundation, a social institution for people with disabilities established in Uster for 100 years, they found the ideal partner for their local aromatic plant project. For over a century, the foundation has provided a loving home for people with intellectual disabilities and, as a care and educational facility, is an important social institution in Uster. This was exactly the kind of partner farfalla had hoped for for their cultivation project – because for farfalla, sustainability is always a three-pronged approach encompassing ecological, economic, and social aspects. The staff at Wagerenhof take pride in cultivating these fragrant medicinal plants. It's a wonderful symbiosis: meaningful educational work for people with support needs combined with the pursuit of sustainable agriculture.

Planting start 2020

In 2020, several thousand plants were placed in a test field for trial purposes: lavender, peppermint, and bergamot mint were allowed to establish themselves and grow there. Using a small test still, essential oils were distilled and analyzed for the first time in Uster in 2021. Although the summer of 2021 was very wet and rainy, the results of the analysis were positive. Lavender and peppermint performed excellently – the stress test was passed and the certainty gained that the cultivation of aromatic plants and the extraction of essential oils of the best quality is also promising in the canton of Zurich.
30,000 plants from an organic seed company in France were planted in early summer 2022. Organic lavender and organic peppermint for distillation now grow in spacious fields on the northeastern edge of the village.

Harvest time

The fragrant harvest of robust organic peppermint is transported to the large distillation plant, which sits high above the town and Lake Greifensee in Uster Castle and is just a few minutes' walk from farfalla. On a hot summer day, the farfalla founders and employees of the Wagerenhof farm work hand in hand. While essential oil and floral water are produced in the steam distillation process, wisps of peppermint aroma drift down the castle hill.

That finding the perfect agricultural and social partner in the Wagerenhof Foundation was a stroke of luck for farfalla is reflected in the first product resulting from this collaboration. Using the extracted essential oil, farfalla created the "Summer Bliss" shower gel, the summer product of 2024. The result is a refreshing shower experience for everyone. The invigorating scent of Uster peppermint and citrus fruits awakens the senses and lifts the spirits. Just like the monthly fieldwork among the lavender and peppermint – pure summer bliss.