Family farming is still in 2025 the mayor agriculture conduction form in the Alpine area. With about 20.000 small holders, South Tyrol is a territory highly dedicated to agriculture, with a predominancy of vinery, apple and dairy production. Compared to other alpine areas the province of Bolzano has experimented a limited rural population decrease. In this contribution I intend to analyze the role of cooperatives in assuring higher and less fluctuating income for producers, compared to other territories such as Piedmont. Thanks to a mixed method I combine quantitative data from ASTAT, ISTAT and EUROSTAT regarding farmers income in areas with stronger or weaker presence of cooperatives, with qualitative data from interviews and participant observations. Results show how cooperatives are a key factor in assuring resiliency in cases of market shocks and instabilities as well as shortcuts deriving from a lower independency in farm management.