After several years managing sustainable development projects in the public sector, Sarah Huber felt the need to reconnect with the land. Together with her partner, who comes from the Val d’Anniviers, she decided to settle at the Cottier Alpine pasture above Zinal, where she could give a more tangible dimension to her values. “Before, I was trying to move projects forward. Now, I can take action myself, with my hands in the soil.” she explains.
Today, as a herbal farmer, Sarah grows, harvests and transforms medicinal plants at nearly 2,000 metres above sea level. She describes her profession through four verbs: cultivate, gather, transform and share. “I enjoy building a relationship with plants throughout their entire life cycle.” she says. This connection continues in her workshop, where she produces syrups, oils, balms and natural remedies.
Set against the spectacular landscapes of Zinal, her garden benefits from a surprisingly favourable microclimate that allows many plants to thrive despite the altitude. Here, the growing season is short but intense, biodiversity is remarkable and plant diseases are relatively rare. It is a unique environment that shapes both her work and her daily life.
During the summer, Sarah opens the doors to her world through guided tours and discovery days. Far from offering purely technical explanations, she invites visitors to experience a genuine encounter with medicinal plants: touching them, smelling them, tasting them and discovering the stories, traditions and knowledge associated with them. “I try to create an emotional connection” she explains. Among the emblematic species she presents, masterwort (Peucedanum ostruthium) holds a special place in the heritage of the Val d’Anniviers.
At Cottier, visitors do not come solely to learn traditional skills; they also come to enjoy a meaningful pause. It is an opportunity to slow down, breathe and reconnect with nature in an exceptional mountain setting.
Through her work, the visits she offers and the encounters she creates, Sarah shares a thoughtful and sensitive way of experiencing the mountains, in tune with the seasons and closely connected to the living world. Behind her career change lies a guiding thread that has always accompanied her: the search for a balance between human activity and nature. Today, what once existed as projects and ideas has become a tangible part of her everyday life. At the Cottier Alpine pasture, she has found her own way of putting her convictions into practice.
