Today, we present to you the Christen family. It is with Myrtha, an overflowing farmer, that we are in contact when we go to collect the products.

This farming family from Büchslen has been active for more than 60 years. At the time, he was the grandfather of the current generation of leaders who had started farming. He would sell his products at the Bern market until 1997. It was during these years that the Christen family decided to switch to 100% organic farming.

For ten years now, the Christen family has joined forces with the Goetschi family to form the Seeland-Bio company. Seeland-Bio produces no less than 35 different vegetables: potatoes and carrots of all kinds, leeks, celery, fennel, various salads, and aubergines, courgettes, tomatoes and cucumbers in summer.

“Organic farming is not a question of quality, but of quantity.”

Convinced of the need to preserve natural resources, the Christen family explains that their choice to switch to organic farming represents the basic decision on which their activities subsequently developed. There is certainly a decrease in productivity, but the decision pays off in the long term.

“The only solutions we have are either by hand or by machine. But no spray agent!”

When we ask them what is their motivation that drives them on a daily basis, Christian, one of the managers, instinctively answers “respect for the environment, long-term orientation, and therefore the future of our planet”. Also, the Christen family considers ambition to be an important value:

“We always want to do better”

A state of mind similar to that of Bouteka and his desire to continually satisfy his community.

The Christen family shares many other points in common with Bouteka. One of the most telling is the desire to support the local economy. Seland-Bio is largely supplied locally. Moreover, she is convinced of the importance of the emotional connection between the customer and the product. Another central commonality is of course the enthusiasm for good locally sourced organic food products.

“The future lies in organic and local agriculture”

Finally, Christian wishes to remind the Boutekiers of the importance of the development of agriculture that we defend together, local and organic. How to make this understood to the new generation? He thinks that the form of the message is crucial. According to him, this message must tell a story, illustrate the value of local work, and come directly from the heart. Bouteka fully shares this vision and is committed alongside the Christen family to try to get this message across in the best possible way.