He lives in the valley of light in an idyll. Since ex-Mister Switzerland Renzo Blumenthal (44) took over the now solar-powered family farm in Vella GR in 2010, he has been cultivating the 65 hectare land with 40 dairy cows, 60 cattle and 30 pigs. In-bars vie for his organic sausages, mountain cheese and beer.
Then came the corona crisis, which did not leave him without a trace. Due to the closed restaurants and forbidden market stalls, the farmers lost sales of several tens of thousands of francs. What went really well was his farm shop. «Many have told me that the lockdown gave them more time to deal with organic products and to support regional suppliers. Farm shops were suddenly the trend. “
He used the lockdown as an opportunity for a new business idea
Blumenthal, who was overwhelmed by online orders, came up with the idea of combining the two – and found the technical partner for it in a local startup company. This is how the “Hofladen365” app was created. In doing so, he is mixing up the competitive smartphone app market.
Blumenthal is convinced that the result is unique. «We have a push function. If a farm shop owner wants to draw attention to special products, an occasion or something else, he can, ”says Blumenthal, who wants to create a win-win situation for both sides. “Anyone throughout Switzerland who owns a farm shop can upload anything they want. With a map, tourists also know where the nearest one is and what products they are selling. ” Blumenthal himself receives a fee for each farm shop, which is also worthwhile for him. “We recently started with the app, the success proves my idea.”
For the organic farmer it is clear, “as bad as the lockdown was for me, I used it as an opportunity.”