ALVIN, Texas (RFD NEWS) — For fifth-generation farmer and Army veteran Tyler Froberg, agriculture is more than a family tradition — it is an opportunity to educate consumers about where their food comes from.
Froberg, owner of Froberg’s Farm and Community Grocery Store in Alvin, Texas, joined us on Monday’s Market Day Report ahead of his appearance on Tuesday’s new episode of SharkFarmer on RFD-TV.
Known online as @Farmer.Froberg, Tyler is part of a multigenerational farming operation located just south of Houston. Froberg’s Farm is known for its strawberries, but the operation produces a wide variety of crops and livestock.
In his interview with RFD News, Froberg said the farm grows strawberries, blackberries and tomatoes, while also raising pigs, sheep, broilers and egg-laying hens. The operation even grows Christmas trees.
The diverse production helps supply the farm’s on-site market and community grocery store.
From the Army Back to the Farm
Froberg said he always knew he wanted to farm, but he also wanted to pursue an education and gain experiences outside his family’s operation.
As the first person in his family to pursue higher education, he decided the U.S. Army would provide an opportunity to serve his country while continuing his education.
Froberg served four years in the Army before returning to agriculture.
He also gained experience working on a sheep farm and another produce farm before eventually returning to the family operation.
Those experiences gave him an opportunity to see different approaches to agriculture before bringing that knowledge back to his family’s farm.
Bringing Ag Education to the Masses (and SharkFarmer!)
Froberg is featured in the latest episode of SharkFarmer, where he helped host Rob Sharkey develop questions for the show’s “Man on the Street” segment.
One question tested consumers’ knowledge of agriculture by asking what family cantaloupes belong to.
The answer: the cucumber family, along with crops such as zucchini, acorn squash, watermelon and pumpkins.
Froberg said the goal of the segment — and much of his own content — is to educate consumers in an entertaining way.
He said most people understand basic concepts such as planting seeds to grow crops or getting milk from cows, but agriculture education can go much deeper.
Rather than expecting consumers to seek out traditional educational videos about farming, Froberg said social media provides an opportunity to reach people with entertaining content that also teaches them something.
That approach has helped Froberg build a significant audience online. He has more than 208,000 followers on Instagram, where he showcases his farm and shares information about agriculture.
Froberg said his passion for education began at a young age through FFA and continued throughout his agricultural career.
He also believes traveling and seeing how other people live helped him recognize that many consumers have little direct connection to farming.
“I bet people would be curious about this,” Froberg said of his decision to begin sharing his experiences online.
With a little Texas personality mixed in, Froberg said the goal is to have fun while helping consumers better understand agriculture.
