The next Soil to Soul producer arena is already being planned. Details will follow.
Chef seeks farmer, farmer seeks chef
Soil to Soul Producers Arena
Who produces food, who has demand? Soil to Soul brings you together.
Food producers often don't have the time to focus on sales. On the other hand, food processors are always happy to discover new and exciting sources of local products. This applies equally to the hospitality and commercial sectors.
With the Producers Arena, a platform for exchange between producers and gastronomers is created. Here, the farmer is not looking for a spouse but for a chef; the gardener is seeking someone with ideas to turn fresh produce into durable, high-quality products. Moreover, together we explore ideas to achieve our common goals with less effort and thus strengthen production in the region.
The Producers Arena is organized by Soil to Soul and the Zurich Office Public History Food by Dominik Flammer. The well-known food scout and author will also serve as the moderator of the arena. In the context of a short panel talk, he introduced three innovative and exemplary actors, showcasing what successful collaborations between different groups should look like. Naturally, we discussed culinary, logistical, and cultural questions.
Looking back at our first Soil to Soul producers-arena
Producers in the Talk
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Matthias Hollenstein
Slow Grow
At SlowGrow, the cultivation of healthy, tasty food and the development of forward-thinking cultivation methods are at the center. Matthias is dedicated to diverse, multifunctional production spaces.
SlowGrow engages in vegetable farming, arable farming, and cultivates various specialty crops. Matthias and his crew manage entrusted land in Gossau and Mönchaltorf. There, they creatively and intuitively create knowledge for a sustainable, regenerative approach to the humus layer. -
Toni Odermatt
Geissäheimet Meierskählen
No one has more Toggenburg goats in their stable than Toni Odermatt. This goat breed is extremely robust and excels in steep mountain terrain. While their milk yield is lower compared to goats bred solely for milk production, it provides excellent milk for the best cheese quality. Additionally, Toggenburg goats have a substantial meat yield, providing tender meat with fine fibers. The population of Toggenburg goats in Switzerland has been alarmingly low for years due to the preference for dairy-focused goat breeds. Through his work and the sale of products, Toni is committed to preserving this breed. -
Monika Müller
Vitto
For over four years, Monika, together with her husband, ran the Hotel Palazzo Salis in Soglio, where she served as the head chef, shaping the culinary experience for restaurant and hotel guests. In the kitchen of Palazzo Salis, she turned the ordinary into something extraordinary, with great respect for the ingredients, always fresh, delicious, and sourced exclusively locally.
As the founder of "Vitto," she now focuses on creating and producing the products. She searches for nature-oriented raw materials in the surrounding area and processes them on-site. With a constant focus on delivering the ultimate taste experience, Monika Müller explores gentle preservation methods and creates specialties that capture the diversity of the mountain valley.
© Image: Christian Speck
Hosts in the Talk
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Michaela Frank
Rank
Rank is a meeting place for art and cuisine. The concept includes a take-away area with toasties. The kitchen works closely with local partners.
Michaela is the woman wielding the kitchen scepter. She has gained experience in various establishments, including Waldhaus Flims, Nenad Mlinarevic's Park Hotel Vitznau, and Elif Oskan's service team. Additionally, she completed the training program offered by the Fundaziun Uccelin, founded by Andreas and Sarah Caminada. From 2015 to 2017, Michaela was a member of the Swiss Junior National Culinary Team, where she won three gold medals and the runner-up title at the Olympiad in Erfurt. -
Noah Rechsteiner
ANOAH – Plant based
Host and head chef of the plant-based fine dining restaurant ANOAH, Noah Rechsteiner has already achieved quite a lot at the age of 23. He gained recognition through his three pop-up restaurants and is currently in the midst of planning his first permanent establishment.
At ANOAH, it's not just about good food, but primarily about the overall experience. This includes a lot of storytelling and providing background information about our ingredients and producers. -
David Zurfluh
Culinarium Alpinum
Since the opening of Culinarium Alpinum, David, the former head chef of Villa Honegg, has been the leading force in the kitchen. The restaurant meticulously implements the concept of local cuisine and impresses its guests not only with traditional dishes but also with creatively interpreted delicacies.
David maintains direct contact with his producers and is open to purchasing small quantities from them. The sharing concept allows for a flexible menu, which, in turn, enables the utilization of low yields.
© Image: Timo Schwach
