Herder Castle

What Herder Castle does

Schloss Herdern is a Swiss non-profit association (Verein) founded in 1895 and located in Herdern, Canton Thurgau. It operates a residential social institution serving approximately 80 adults with psychosocial difficulties, alongside approximately 100 protected workplaces distributed across 15 work areas. The institution provides housing, daily living support, and occupational integration through a structured care and work environment, and is funded primarily through cantonal social welfare contracts and resident placement fees from referring Swiss authorities.

The organization's economic model combines subsidized social-care revenue with diversified commercial activities. It operates an integrated agricultural and artisanal production base spanning cheese dairy, dairy cattle, crop farming, forestry, carpentry, gardening, and a joint-venture biogas plant (Bioenerdie Herdern AG) that converts agricultural waste into energy. Physical product sales (dairy, agricultural goods, carpentry output) and the Simonshütte vacation rental, together with on-site events and castle tours, provide supplemental revenue lines that cross-subsidize the social mission. Recent capital investments include a CHF 5.39 million cheese dairy renovation and a CHF 1.11 million dairy cattle barn.

The business model is non-profit: there are no external shareholders, no parent company, and no equity funding. Reinvestment is directed back into the physical infrastructure, resident services, and protected employment programs. The multi-division structure enables a partial cost subsidy by directing agricultural and workshop output toward institutional consumption while also generating external sales. Customer concentration is split between public-sector care payers (cantonal and municipal authorities) for the residential segment and distributed retail/visitor demand for the product and tourism segments. No AI/ML or digital technology layer is evident; operations rely on traditional Swiss agricultural, artisanal, and social-care practice.

Name

Herder Castle

Legal name

Verein Schloss Herdern

Website

https://schlossherdern.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Schloss Herdern is a Swiss non-profit social institution, founded in 1895 in Canton Thurgau, providing residential care for ~80 adults with psychosocial difficulties and ~100 protected workplaces across 15 areas, supported by integrated agricultural, dairy, biogas, and tourism operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Social Care

NAICS

Other Residential Care Facilities (6239), Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Work Exchange & Farmstay Programs (WWOOF/HelpX-Style) (EDAIAGAK)

Keywords

• Residential social care
• Protected employment services
• Dairy farming operations
• Vocational integration programs
• Community-based rehabilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

Herdern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Residential Care Fees: Fees charged for residential care of approximately 80 residents with psychosocial difficulties, paid through a combination of social assistance, disability insurance (IV) benefits, and cantonal funding.
2. Agricultural and Artisan Product Sales: Sale of cheese, dairy products, processed foods, wines, handicrafts and other products through the on-site Schlossladen, web shop, and regional resellers. Products include Genuss Handwerk and Design Handwerk own brands.
3. Simonshütte Vacation Rental: Mountain cabin rental in Gonten, Appenzell Innerrhoden, generating seasonal rental income at CHF 80-120 per night plus fees.
4. Events and Tours: Revenue from guided tours (CHF 200 per group), room rentals (CHF 70-200 per day), and aperitif services (CHF 22-30 per person).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Schloss Herdern is a Swiss social institution that provides long-term residential care, day structure programs, and approximately 100 protected workplaces across 15 work areas for adults with psychosocial difficulties. Integrated operations span residential housing, agriculture, dairy processing, cheese production, forestry, carpentry, creative crafts, and biogas energy, creating meaningful employment for residents while generating revenue through the on-site Schlossladen, web shop, and regional resellers.

Product overview

Herder Castle operates as a multi-faceted social care institution with integrated agricultural, food production, and retail operations. The institution provides approximately 100 protected workplaces across diverse operational divisions. Core products include Schlosskäserei (cheese dairy) producing Tilsiter and other dairy products from hay milk since 1897, Genuss Handwerk (handcrafted food products), and agricultural products from their 112-hectare regenerative farm. Retail operations centered on the Schlossladen (castle shop) sell the institution's own produce alongside regional specialties. Additional divisions include forestry, carpentry, industry/packaging, biogas energy production, gardening, and a creative atelier. The institution also operates Simonshütte, a mountain rental property. These interconnected operations enable residents with psychosocial difficulties to participate in meaningful work across agriculture, food production, crafts, and services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Genuss Handwerk: The 'Genuss Handwerk' (Enjoyment Craftsmanship) brand encompasses the institution's food production operations including the Genuss Kitchen, drying facility, and bakery. Products are handmade using ingredients from the estate or regional suppliers, with employees with disabilities actively involved in production.
• Design Handwerk
• Schlosskäse
• Goldtilsiter

Products and services

• Residential Care Services Long-term housing, care, and social integration services for approximately 80 adults with psychosocial, social, or alcohol-related problems who cannot live independently. Funded through social assistance, Swiss disability insurance (IV), and cantonal funding.
• Schlosskäserei (Castle Cheese Dairy) Traditional cheese dairy producing Tilsiter, Schlosskäse, Kümmelkäse, Mutschli, yogurt, and fresh milk products from hay milk. Processes approximately 1.2 million kg of silo-free milk annually.
• Schlossladen (Castle Shop) On-site retail store selling the institution's own products including cheese, dairy, wine, smoked meats, jams, syrups, juices, vegetables, and crafts. Also operates as a post office agent. Open Monday-Friday and Saturday mornings.
• Agricultural Production 112-hectare regenerative agricultural estate producing vegetables, berries, wine grapes, grains, sugar beets, rapeseed, and supporting livestock including 70 Braunvieh cows, 60 cattle, and 80 sows with piglets.
• Forestry and Firewood 78-hectare forest management producing firewood (Beech CHF 130/Ster, Hardwood CHF 120/Ster, Softwood CHF 110/Ster) and timber. Also offers forestry contractor services at CHF 20-80/hour.
• Schreinerei (Carpentry Workshop) Woodworking workshop producing solid wood products, tool packaging, wooden pallets (Paloxen), and custom wood products, primarily using timber from the institution's own forest.
• Industry Workshop (Packaging and Assembly Services) Protected workshop providing packaging, sorting, blistering, shrinking, documentation assembly, mailing, and electronics assembly services for external clients.
• Biogas Energy Production Biogas facility producing renewable electricity from manure and biomass. Supplies electricity for 400 households and heating for 260 households as of 2021, saving 66,000 liters of heating oil annually.
• Kreativatelier (Creative Atelier) Creative workshop producing handmade wooden, metal, textile, natural material, paper, and paint products sold in the castle shop and at regional markets under the Design Handwerk brand.
• Simonshütte Mountain Cabin Rental Mountain rental property in Gonten, Appenzell Innerrhoden at 1,136m elevation, accommodating 6-8 persons. Smoke-free cabin with kitchen, living room, reading room, and outdoor grill area. CHF 80-120 per night depending on season.
• Guided Tours and Event Rentals Guided tours of the castle grounds for groups of 7-24 people at CHF 200 per group, plus room rentals (Landenbergsaal CHF 200/day, meeting room CHF 70/day) and apéro catering services (CHF 22-30 per person).
• Cold-Chain Delivery Service Twice-weekly delivery runs with refrigerated vehicles supplying regional retailers with fresh dairy products and Genuss Handwerk products, including unloading into customer refrigeration and returning empties.
• Day Structure Programs for External Clients Day structure programs for externally housed clients with psychological and physical disabilities (IV Rente recipients), working 30-100% in work areas with individual day structures while maintaining independence.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75 years of combined service by long-term employees Emmi and Alfred von Ah demonstrates staff retention and institutional stability
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bioenergie Herdern AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 January 2018Joint venture company established to operate the biogas facility on Schloss Herdern's agricultural land. Produces regional, climate-friendly energy from manure, dung, and biomass. Invested approximately CHF 3.5 million in the facility. Supplies electricity to 400 households and heating to 260 households as of 2021, saving 66,000 liters of heating oil annually.
• Massnahmenzentrum KalchrainminorOthersSubstrate supplier for the biogas facility, providing 11,000 tonnes of manure (90% of substrate) from their operations to supplement Schloss Herdern's agricultural output for renewable energy production.
• academia integration ZürichminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on vocational exploration projects, where young refugees visit Schloss Herdern's work areas to gain experience in trades such as carpentry, gardening, maintenance, and forestry as part of cultural integration programs.
• Stiftung ZukunftminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partner for vocational integration programs, sending participants to Schloss Herdern for temporary work assignments and rehabilitation measures.
• Verein KompassminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partner for vocational integration programs, directing participants to Schloss Herdern for supported employment and integration services.
• Brückenangebote FrauenfeldminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBridge program provider that refers participants to Schloss Herdern for practical work experience as part of transitional vocational programs.
• Jugendprojekt LIFTminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYouth project that refers adolescents with challenging starting positions for vocational training to Schloss Herdern for work experience and career orientation.
• Verein HeumilchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership organization for hay milk production, allowing Schloss Herdern's dairy to use the Heumilch label since September 2018. The label guarantees milk from healthy cows with ample exercise and reasonable value creation for farmers, supporting Schloss Herdern's natural feeding approach.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Emmi Group: Switzerland's largest dairy processor and a major buyer/producer of Swiss cheese including specialty products. Adjacent industry reference for cheese-dairy economics and the Heumilch category in which Schloss Herdern participates.
• Bioenergie Schweiz / Biogas Association operators: Swiss industry association and operator network for agricultural biogas facilities. Adjacent ecosystem reference for Schloss Herdern's Bioenergie Herdern AG JV operating model and feedstock partnerships.

Direct peers

• Stiftung Wagerenhof: Swiss non-profit foundation in Uster providing residential care and protected workplaces for people with disabilities, with integrated workshops, agriculture, and gastronomy. Closely comparable to Schloss Herdern in mission, structure (Verein/Stiftung), and integrated work-care model in Switzerland.
• Heimgartner Stiftung: Swiss foundation offering residential and work-integrated programs for adults with psychosocial challenges, including agricultural and craft workshops. Directly comparable as a Swiss social institution combining housing and meaningful employment.
• Stiftung für Schwerbehinderte, Lindenberg (SSBL): Swiss foundation providing residential care, day structures, and protected employment across multiple workshops for people with disabilities in Central Switzerland. Comparable institutional structure, scale, and integrated service portfolio.
• Stiftung Wohnheim Walkringen: Swiss residential social institution offering housing, care, and protected work programs for adults with psychosocial needs. Comparable Swiss social enterprise with similar institutional mission and protected-workplace model.
• Stiftung Rütiweiden: Swiss non-profit providing residential care and protected work in agriculture and food production for adults with disabilities or psychosocial difficulties. Comparable to Schloss Herdern in combining farming, food processing, and residential social care.

Broad incumbents

• L'Arche International: Global federation of communities where people with and without intellectual disabilities live and work together, often with artisan/craft workshops. Comparable integrated residential + meaningful work model for vulnerable populations.
• Camphill Communities: International network of intentional communities integrating people with disabilities through shared life and work on farms and craft workshops. Broader incumbent offering comparable therapeutic-community + agricultural-work integration model at global scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCg7eBBbvA4h_z1bdkE2WwbQ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Herder Castle