© creative synergies, Laurent Bailly
The return of spring crops
Throughout the winter, we take out of our storage areas the so-called "storage" vegetables, harvested in the fall. While winter is still here, it's already time to return to the fields to start planting the so-called "fresh" vegetables.
Salads, planted from the beginning of the second half of February, open the season, followed by white cabbage, red cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and celery. Next come chard, fennel and, around mid-March, leeks.
The work of preparing and protecting the soil
«Before any planting, we carefully prepare the soil,» explains Christophe Stoll, Director of Open-Field Production. “We first loosen and refine the soil, then create planting mounds to elevate the crops. Fertilizers and treatments are applied judiciously at the appropriate times in the growth cycle to ensure healthy plant development. Each step requires careful and precise work.”.
After planting, the teams install the Agrils, those white protective tarps that are seen everywhere in the fields at this time of year. "Between mid-February and mid-May, temperatures can still drop sharply. The Agrils prevent the sudden weather changes that would endanger the young plants," explains Christophe. "This is what allows us to offer Swiss 100% vegetables very early in the year, without using greenhouses."«
An organization dictated by the weather
Agricultural machinery drivers had been eagerly awaiting this resumption of work. Maintaining agricultural machinery and all sorts of other tasks had occupied the winter weeks, but it is in the fields that they reconnect with what they are passionate about.
Fabian Randin, Manager of Agricultural Machinery Drivers and Equipment Fleet, says he is proud of his team, "very close-knit, like a small family." What he likes about this job is "the unpredictability. Even when following the weather forecast, the weather can change quickly, and you have to adapt the schedule at the last minute." The diversity of tasks and skills is also a key aspect: "You have to know how to take care of the fields at every stage, from soil preparation to harvesting, all while using increasingly high-tech agricultural machinery," he explains.
Attention is already turning towards the first harvests.
Planting is done in stages to stagger harvests. The first lettuces are expected as early as the end of April. For other vegetables, which have a longer growing cycle, harvests will begin no earlier than the first week of June.
Behind this schedule are the men and women who will take turns working in the fields, ensuring the work is done six days a week. It's a job in direct contact with the elements, which can be physically demanding, but very rewarding when you see, and then taste, the result of these collective efforts. This satisfaction can be shared by all colleagues, thanks to the vegetable baskets offered twice a week.