Three Brisbane-based content creators have visited the Darling Downs to experience Australian cotton production firsthand, as part of a Cotton Australia initiative aimed at sharing how cotton is grown with audiences beyond agriculture. 

Many people who see cotton products every day have limited understanding of where cotton comes from or how it is produced. This visit was organised by Cotton Australia as part of its broader work to share the stories from Australian cotton farms, correct misinformation and help build trust of the industry. 

As part of the visit, Cotton Australia organised a tour the Roellgens’ Tyunga Farm, where Lauren showed creators Bella, Gemma and Bec through the cotton crop, including cotton picking in the field. She also explained how the farm uses integrated pest management, manages water efficiently and rotates crops as part of their farming system. 

Growers played a central role in the visit, not only through hosting on-farm but also by joining the group for lunch at the grower-owned Brookstead pub. Darling Downs growers took part in conversations with the content creators, answering questions and sharing their own experiences of farming in the region. These discussions helped provide a broader picture of cotton production and the decisions involved in growing a crop. 

The visit also included a tour of Queensland Cotton’s Cecil Plains gin, giving the content creators a clearer understanding of the journey from cotton field to fibre. 

The content creators are now sharing their experiences with their own online audiences. By using their own voices and platforms, they help introduce Australian cotton production to people who may not otherwise engage with agricultural content or follow industry channels. 

Bella Messina (@BellaMessina on Instagram) shared her experience across Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, with content reaching more than 100,000 people. 

Bec from Pinata Fruit (@PinataFruitGirl on TikTok) also shared her perspective after visiting the farm. Coming from a horticulture background, she reflected on seeing another part of Australian agriculture, with her content reaching almost 50,000 people across her channels. 

Fashion and shopping creator Gemma (@what.gem.wore on TikTok) will share her experience with her audience of almost 20,000 followers in the coming week. 

This influencer collaboration trip is rolling out across Cotton Australia’s social media channels as part of a broader campaign to build trust in the industry and correct misinformation. Darling Downs growers and siblings Lauren and Henry Roellgen are helping address common misconceptions in the cotton field, while Thomas Pearce is translating the story of Australian cotton into Gen Z social media language to engage younger audiences. 

Behind-the-scenes clips and vox pops from the lunch with Darling Downs growers will also be used to share different perspectives. 

The response so far has been positive, with more than 100 comments across the posts and most showing interest in learning more about cotton farming. 

The activity forms part of Cotton Australia’s ongoing digital storytelling work, which this month has helped reach more than 600,000 people across its social media channels, with 6.5k engagements and steady growth in followers across platforms. 

By working with creators who already have established audiences, Cotton Australia is extending the reach of grower voices into conversations happening outside agriculture. 

Growers remain central to this work – thank you to the Darling Downs growers for their willingness to host the visits share experiences and engage directly with visitors is a key part of how these stories are told and understood. 

You can get behind this work by engaging with and sharing Cotton Australia’s content to help more people see the story behind Australian cotton.