On this page, we’ve put together an overview of the most crucial information from the website. Below you can find our video, which has English subtitles. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact us: Send us an email with your request to info@ortoloco.ch, and someone will get back to you.

ortoloco is a dream brought to life – a way to make the world a better place. And it’s also a farming cooperative. As a cooperative, we run a farm in Dietikon, around 30 Minutes outside of the city of Zurich, where we produce vegetables, fruits, grains, meat, eggs, and more. Our farming follows the Bio Suisse guidelines.

ortoloco is organized as a cooperative. We employ six skilled professionals who are experts in organic farming, agriculture, and biodiversity. They receive a fair wage and a lot of appreciation for their work and expertise.

Since we function as a farming cooperative, our 600 cooperative members work alongside these professionals to grow food for one another and themselves. This means that producers and consumers work together. The members' work is not just symbolic – they contribute about one-third to half of the farm’s labor.

By working together, we together create social and ecological benefits.

Once a week, we distribute our food to pick-up points in and around Zurich. You can find a map indicating the pick-up points here.

Depending on the subscription you choose (available plans) you commit to 4 to 14 work shifts per year. These tasks are diverse: sowing, harvesting, weeding, packaging, or distributing food. During your shifts, you’ll get to know other members and the farmers, who will guide and support you. On this site, you can find some examples of how you can contribute.

Becoming a member of ortoloco requires buying shares in the cooperative. You purchase these shares when you join. Each member has to purchase at least four shares when they join.

The money from the shares serves as investment capital to maintain and develop the farm’s infrastructure.

If you decide to leave, your shares will be refunded. To cover ongoing costs – such as the salaries of our professionals – all members pay an annual operating fee for their subscription.

ortoloco is based on the principles of community-supported agriculture.

At its core, it’s about a strong partnership between farmers and consumers.

Together, we grow our food in a fair, self-determined, and community-oriented way, while also taking care of each other, our plants, animals, and soil.

Community-supported agriculture also means sharing economic risks. In a good year, we enjoy a plentiful harvest. In a difficult year, everyone shares the lower yield together.

• Visit a Schnupperanlass and let us show you everything. From time to time we also offer sessions in English. You can find the dates for the next sessions here.
• Book a trial subscription. You can find more information on this page (in German): Schnupperabo. If you have any questions, please feel free to write to us.
• If you've already decided to become a member, you can sign up for your subscription using this link. If you have any questions, please feel free to write to us.
• Still unsure? Then subscribe to our newsletter (in German) and we'll stay in touch.