BachsThe Farm-Office: A New Approach to Inheritance Politics to Maintain Small-Scale FarmingAmélie Lambert and Donata De Ieso

The municipality of Bachs is located in the Canton of Zurich, near the Canton of Aargau. It is defined by its agricultural valley and its vernacular buildings. Time seems to have stopped here, far from the agitation of the city. The valley, called Bachsertal, is composed of the village and various hamlets surrounded by agricultural fields. Farms are small-sized and are often owned by families, who have run the farm for generations.

When we went to Bachs, we visited six farms. All have been in the same family for two to three generations. The family members, grandparents, children and grandchildren work the land and produce the different farm goods. The structure of small-scale family-run farming contributes to the idyllic image of the valley.