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07/04/2025
The ability for agriculture to tell its story beyond its immediate circle has long been a source of industry frustration, particularly given anti-farming lobbyists’ hunger to fill the void.
Yet, having achieved success sharing a strong and engaging horticultural message, Thanh Truong, aka the 'Fruit Nerd' on social media, is now looking at how he can leverage this engagement across other agricultural industries.
Thanh believes a key issue across the entire industry is the need to utilise social media more effectively, avoiding missed opportunities for market reach and connection with younger audiences who now look to social media as their source of news over traditional media.
And as a 2025 Australian Nuffield Scholar, sponsored by Rabobank, he has global learnings at his disposal which he hopes will ultimately help support local farmers and industry.
“All too often I see food and fibre production embroiled in negative media, with the industry unable to address the issue to the broader population of consumers,” Thanh explains.
“The damning social media campaigns against ag are relentless, and unfortunately for our Next Gen, these are the stories that will be ingrained in their memories.”
“Our ag industry needs to take control of the narrative, and ensure that the storytelling and communication around the ag industry is being translated effectively, and on the correct platform.”
For his Nuffield Scholarship research topic, Thanh seeks to explore the opportunities social media can bring to Australian growers, researching its best practice uses in marketing strategies to increase engagement with the sector.
“My study aims to provide strategies and tools for Australian agriculture and horticulture businesses to harness social media's potential and enhance engagement and growth,” Thanh says.
Thanh talks strategy with Rabobank Content and Social Media Manager, Dan Laus
“At the moment ag sectors seem to be content creating within their own silos, preaching to the converted rather than further down the supply chain.
“I want to see farmers' consideration of consumers, their purchase decisions, their empathy for, and their understanding of agriculture reflected in their content.”
Creating content to shift the needle
While feel-good reels of strawberry picking or farm stay agritourism will always attract organic engagement, the elephant in the room, Thanh believes, is how to address complex rural industry backlash.
“Traditional media doesn’t know how to, or hasn’t wanted to, combat smear campaigns or negative press, or even effectively engage the community in ag’s story.”
“Social media is a much better platform to share environmental outcomes and the industry’s progress, and people, comprehensively.”
Within his own industry – horticulture – Thanh has pioneered enormous inroads in engaging a wider audience.
After studying commerce and arts at Monash University, Thanh began working as a wholesale produce buyer for a major supermarket chain before joining the family business of wholesaling fresh produce at the Melbourne Market.
Thanh Truong is passionate about sharing horticulture’s message. Photo Credit Frank Wang
He began collaborating with growers daily, finding the best fit for their produce at greengrocers and restaurants and joined the Advisory Board of the Melbourne Market.
Thanh’s enthusiasm for fresh fruit and vegetables quickly overflowed from his role as he began sharing educational food content on social media. His positivity and knowledge were a hit, and his online presence escalated, with many of his videos viewed in the millions.
His dual interests in championing fresh produce while educating Aussies has resulted in him working with OzHarvest, ABC radio and TV, and the Little Food Festival.
Thanh's online presence led to his book Don't Buy Fruit and Veg Without Me, and his SBS TV series Fruit Nerd's Field to Feast.
Having done much of the heavy lifting content creating for the horticultural industry, he’s now looking to give back and help support other ag portfolios.
“From my work in the hort and fruit and veg industry I’m in a good position to help other industries – and that’s the beauty of a Nuffield Scholarship, it’s not designed for individual benefit, but to contribute to a vibrant national agricultural industry.”
“At this point in my career I want to give back to farmers more than I want to gain, and I have skills to help industries outside of horticulture tell their story.”
Having sponsored 22 scholars since 2003, Thanh was also grateful to Rabobank for its support, and applauded the rural specialist lender for its strong values in giving back to Australia’s ag industry.
Thanh at Rabobank’s Head Office in The Netherlands whilst on a Nuffield study trip.
With Rabobank Global Senior Specialist Fresh Produce and Horticulture, Lambert van Horen
“Rabobank consciously contributes to rural and regional communities in the form of the Rabo Community Fund and the Rabo Client Council, and supports farming clients with a raft of initiative – from its RaboResearch analyst team providing insights, to networking and knowledge sharing events – everything it does is with the intention of maintaining a strong ag industry.”
“Even saving with Rabobank helps ag, because 100 percent of money deposited supports Aussie farmers, food and agribusinesses.”
A Nuffield Journey
Thanh has already visited Europe and New Zealand as part of his Nuffield travels, and his next stop is Scotland where he intends to meet with a successful content creator working with the Scottish Salmon Board, and successfully sharing aquaculture’s story.
In Canada, he hopes to sit down with a content creator who specialises in engaging and educating the audience on Indigenous land use.
It’s this enormous breadth of knowledge across all ag sectors that scholars obtain which Thanh believes is the true beauty of Nuffield.
“In my career I only see fruit and veg, other scholars only see livestock, others grain, and it’s enlightening to realise the commonalities between the portfolios, and the different challenges we all face,” Thanh explained.
“You soon realise that the world is bigger than your little corner, and there’s so much we can learn from each other.”
With the Nuffield Contemporary Scholars Conference (CSC) – a global event uniting the current 90 scholar cohort – recently held in New Zealand, Thanh said the opportunity to meet fellow alumni was a highlight.
“There are some incredible humans in agriculture, and this conference gathered so many progressive people together for a week long program.”
“These are the people who are pushing boundaries, entrepreneurs with the ability to reshape the industry and drive it forward.”
From visiting the Bureau of Meteorology, the CSIRO and ABARES to meeting the CEO of the Department of Agriculture, Thanh said gaining first-hand exposure to such valuable industry contributors was also fascinating.
“I love economics, and particularly how foreign economic policy in our global landscape impacts us locally, which is a very pertinent topic at the moment, so visiting ABARES and getting an insight on how agriculture can prepare for uncertainty was a tremendous opportunity.”
With applications now open for 2026 Nuffield Australia Scholarships, Thanh encouraged those wanting to contribute to a strong industry to consider applying.
However he warned it’s not a program for those seeking individual praise.
“Nuffield is an incredible opportunity to network and leverage work you’ve already done in an industry, or perhaps to resolve a burning issue.”
“Yet it’s a significant commitment, and you may not even solve the issue, however the beauty of Nuffield is that it provides a platform to raise industry challenges, help explore solutions, and move ag forward.”