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Farming insider: Adrian Knuchel, Switzerland

About Adrian

A family business in the truest sense: Adrian Knuchel's farm in Bätterkinden near Bern spans two sites – his parents live and work at one of them, while he lives at the other with his wife and three children. His wife Yvonne manages the farm's own shop and its seven suckler cows, while his father takes care of around 2,000 laying hens and is involved in everything that goes on around the farm. When harvest time comes around, Adrian can always count on his mother's help too. During his free time, he is involved with the civic community and is a member of the fire service, but his favorite way to spend time, of course, is with his family!

Farm facts

Family-owned: The farm has a family tree indicating that one of its two sites has been farmed by the Knuchel family since the 15th century.

Farm size: 40 hectares of agricultural land

Cultivated crops: Soybeans, wheat, corn, spelt, rapeseed and sunflowers. There are also cherries, walnuts and freshly planted cider apple trees in the orchard.

Features The farm has adopted an organic approach, whereby the family places great emphasis on maintaining the fertility of the soil and diversifying cultivation. The products cultivated here are processed primarily in-house and then sold directly.

For me, team spirit means being able to live and work together. It means ongoing exchange, taking each other, mutual ideas and suggestions seriously.

Adrian Knuchel, Bätterkinden

Question time

Why did you decide to become a farmer?

I've been part of the farming world since I was a child and I enjoyed helping my parents on the farm at an early age. Once I was old enough, they let me drive tractors, so, I really experienced agriculture right from the beginning. As the sole potential successor on the farm, I had the opportunity to take over the business.

Can you picture yourself doing anything else?

I've always known that farming is my dream job. I have a great deal of freedom to make my own decisions and ample scope in the way I work with people, the products and nature. Right now, I can't imagine doing anything other than organic farming. Another professional passion of mine is forestry, and I'm a qualified forester. That's something I've been able to practice within the business too, thanks to the woodland we own.

Is your passion for farming already rubbing off on your children?

When the whole family is working on the farm, the children are always involved too. It´s truly wonderful too see how they embrace life here and try to follow what we´re doing. They always want to go three steps further than they´re ready for. As soon as they´ve learned how to walk or ride a bike,they already want to start driving a tractor or ploughing the fields. They take the lead, embracing life on the farm and enjoying it. They make use of the space available to them.

What is particularly important to you in your work as a farmer?

I want to be sustainable in the way I farm. That means that future generations should still be able to work with our most important asset, the soil. Furthermore, it is also important to me to remain well grounded and not to set unachievable goals.

How important is independence to you?

Independence is really important. For me, it means being able to decide for myself, but also bearing the risks and responsibilities that come too. On the farm specifically, independence means that we have a huge variety of plants and animals, which contribute to risk diversification and also make the work on the farm more varied.

In your life, how important is respect?

Respect is really crucial. Everyone should show respect in both their private and professional lives towards other people, themselves and nature. Mutual appreciation makes for trusting cooperation.

How do you approach innovations and new technologies?

I follow the developments in new technical possibilities very closely. On the farm, I place great emphasis on only acquiring things I can make full use of. I can take advantage of new and suitable technologies by bringing in contractors. Over the past 15 years, we have doubled the size of the farm and have converted to organic cultivation. We started with one hectare of dessert cherries, two hectares of walnuts and shake-harvested fruits. We also began raising laying hens.

On the road worldwide. Always closeby.

All farmers have their own character - which is reflected in their way of life, philosophy and the form of farming and livestock breeding. We visited our farmers around the world and wanted to know what makes them successful, what they stand for and what challenges they have to face. A journey across five continents.

A farmer sits on a chair in a barn, wearing a cap and a blue shirt, with farming equipment visible in the background.

Todd, Jared and Cole Vis, USA

“My wish for the future of the family farm is that it will still be run well in the fifth, sixth, and seventh generation.”

A man and a baby are sitting in a blue tractor, surrounded by logs and trees. The scene depicts a rural setting.

Arco Van Triest, Netherlands

“This farm has been running since 1900, and now my children are here.“

A man smiles while holding a young boy on his lap. They are seated outdoors with greenery in the background.

Adem Biçici, Turkey

“When I go out into the fields with my grandson, I see myself reflected in his curiosity.“

Two men examining a leafy plant in a large green field. The landscape features rows of crops under a clear sky.

Brian Ryberg, USA

“I think the feeling of being part of something greater has always been important to me.“

Portrait of a man with a short beard, wearing a black polo shirt with yellow accents, sitting at a wooden table indoors.

Šandor Sabo junior, Croatia

“Whatever problems we are facing, we solve them together. For me, family is all about cohesion.“

A man with glasses sits on a wooden bench in front of a brick wall. A small decorative item is placed on the table beside him.

Atila Sabo, Croatia

“Every morning, my brother and I agree what we want to do during the day, what our duties are. So we share the work and have passed on this structure to our children in the same way.“

A family walks together along a path in a field, surrounded by crops and trees. They wear matching shirts and hats.

Carla, Fábio and José Rossato, Brazil

“I never had any doubts; I never wanted to be anything but a farmer.”

Dimitar sits in an office chair, smiling while wearing a white shirt and green overalls. Papers and a calculator are on the desk.

Dimitar Vukudinov, Bulgaria

”Working with your own father means that you always have a wiser man with you to support you and look up to.”

Portrait of a middle-aged man with short hair, wearing a black shirt, smiling softly against a softly lit background.

Rodolfo Cura, Argentina

“The farm is everything to me. Working in agriculture is the greatest way to do what I love. For me, the farm means freedom.”

Heidi, a farmer from Belgium, sits in a bright room with a bouquet of roses on the table behind her.

Heidi Verschelde, Belgium

"I think the next generation is showing a keen sense for the importance of nature."

A farmer interacts with a wooden gate in a garden, while another person stands behind him near a car.

Ievhenii Bondarchuk, Ukraine

"If you want to be a farmer, you can’t learn that in an institute. It’s something you have to be born with."

A man and a woman smile at each other while holding tomatoes in a greenhouse filled with plants. They appear to be enjoying their time together.

Luigi Torri, Italy

“I hope my sons will pass on the love and respect for the earth and all the values I taught them.”

A hand reaches out to touch ripe wheat stalks in a field. The golden grains are ready for harvest.

Paweł Strzemiecki, Poland

“This love of farming, of the farming tradition, goes back generations in our family.”

A woman with long hair smiles while standing in front of a blue vehicle in a garage setting.

Emma F., UK

“It would be great if one day the sixth or seventh generation of our family runs the farm.“

Aerial view of Rowles Farm, featuring buildings, vehicles, and surrounding green fields. The landscape includes trees and pathways.

Peter Carlisle, UK

“Teamwork is the most important thing on our farm. Everyone does a little bit of everything. If we weren't a team, our business wouldn't be as successful as it is today.“

Young man in a brown hoodie stands in a field with dust clouds from farming equipment in the background.

Henning & Arne Beecken, Germany

“The feeling of wanting to continue the work on the farm has grown day by day since childhood.“

A cornfield with neatly arranged rows stretches towards a distant tree line and houses under a clear blue sky.

Emanuele Bortoli, Italy

“Reliability and respect form the foundation for how we deal with one another. These are values I`ve always held in high esteem.“

Farmer Francis stands beside a blue agricultural machine in a grassy field. The tractor is equipped for planting or cultivating crops.

Francis Bapst, Switzerland

“For me, the most important values are respect for nature, understanding our consumers and food production.”

Hands examining a plant with roots and leaves in a field. The focus is on the interaction between two individuals.

Toni & Daniel Peterhans, Switzerland

”Spirit and passion are what leads to success, whether it's in farming or on the football pitch.”

A child holds hands with an adult in a barn, carrying a small tool. Cows are visible in the background.

Riccardo Casarotto, Italy

”Independence is a dream that we should all cultivate and pursue. Dreams are there to come true and to help you progress.”

A blue tractor is parked near a large brick farm building with multiple roofs and a landscaped area. The setting is rural and well-maintained.

Stephan Jansen, Belgium

”I look forward to waking up every day and being able to work with nature.”

A woman stands in a cornfield, surrounded by tall green plants and a mountainous landscape in the background.

Gizem Anar, Turkey

”People should love what they do, and I love farming. I enjoy looking after animals, plants and nature and try to feel connected to them!.”

A close-up of a calf with an ear tag, surrounded by other cows in a pasture. The calf has a calm expression.

Adrian Knuchel, Switzerland

”For me, team spirit means being able to live and work together. It means ongoing exchange, taking each other, mutual ideas and suggestions seriously.”

A man holds a ginger cat while standing next to a tractor in a farm setting. The scene conveys a connection between the farmer and his pet.

Gürkan Ilhan, Turkey

”People who work in agriculture, cultivating crops, rearing livestock and working on the land, accumulate positive memories day after day.”

Aerial view of a farmhouse surrounded by neatly trimmed hedges and a garden, with a driveway leading to the property.

René Vermue, Netherlands

”Team spirit and reliability are hugely important in both my personal life and my working life – be it with colleagues, employees, or in dealings with other farmers.”