The Business of Heart and Harmony

How Bich Thuy in Long An Blends Agriculture, Art, and Purpose

In Long An, Vietnam, Bich Thuy is rewriting the script for what it means to be a modern entrepreneur. She isn’t just running a business—she’s building a legacy with roots in the soil and melodies in the air.

Her company, An Nong Group, produces agricultural products, but her mission goes far beyond selling pesticides or fertilizers. Through training programs, community schools, and a traveling music troupe, she is transforming farming villages, one harvest and one song at a time.

Thuy’s story is one of contrasts—grit and grace, logic and lyrics, business and art. She grew up surrounded by music, the daughter of Bac Son, a beloved Vietnamese folk singer and actor. Today, she channels his legacy not only through performances but also through how she does business. While others chase market share, Thuy chases meaning. “I want to create something that lasts,” she says. “Not just profits—but purpose.”

An Nong Group, headquartered in the Hai Son Industrial Park of Long An, is at the core of her impact. It serves Vietnam’s farmers, especially in Long An, who form the backbone of the nation’s food supply but often lack access to proper training and support. Thuy insists that helping farmers use agricultural products correctly is just as important as providing the products themselves. Her solution? A combination of education, community outreach, and an unexpected twist—music.

In 2017, she formed the “Bac Son’s Love Song Troupe,” named in honor of her father. But this isn’t just a musical act—it’s part school, part concert, part public health campaign. The troupe visits villages, performs folk songs, and teaches farmers how to use pesticides safely. According to Thuy, the message sticks when it’s delivered through storytelling, especially when paired with music people grew up listening to. “It’s more than a performance,” she says. “It’s a way to connect and teach without preaching.”

That connection has paid off. Farmers who receive training from the troupe report better yields, improved crop quality, and fewer health problems. Importantly, environmental impact is also reduced—something Thuy sees as essential in a world dealing with the consequences of climate change. She isn’t interested in short-term gains. She’s planting seeds for sustainable farming.

But her impact isn’t limited to grown-ups. Realizing that many farmers struggle to find affordable, safe places for their children while they work, Thuy turned to education. She’s helped build four kindergartens for the children of farmers and factory workers in Long An. With low tuition and generous scholarships, including fully subsidized spots for orphans and children from low-income families, these schools offer more than just daycare. Kids get early exposure to English, take part in music and dance classes, and spend time outdoors—all in an environment where teachers understand the daily struggles of working-class families.

So far, nearly 1,000 children have passed through these kindergartens. For Thuy, the investment is not just about social responsibility—it’s about long-term impact. “A healthy community needs strong roots,” she says. “You start with the youngest.”

Walk through An Nong’s headquarters, and you’re just as likely to hear the strum of a guitar as the hum of machines. Music is central to everything Thuy does, and she makes no secret of that. Her ID even lists “Singer” before “Entrepreneur.” Every year, An Nong hosts community gatherings that blend business with art—events that are as likely to feature Thuy on stage as in the boardroom. She believes music breaks down walls and builds trust.

Her father, Bac Son (real name Truong Van Khue), was a giant in Vietnamese culture. With over 500 compositions and dozens of acting roles, he captured the spirit of Vietnam’s rural south. His most famous songs, such as “Still Longing for Bitter Vegetables” and “You Walk on Young Grass,” evoke a deep connection to land and family. For those living in crowded, noisy cities, his music offers an escape—a return to simpler times. Thuy believes in preserving that legacy while also making it relevant for a new generation.

Her troupe has collaborated with well-known Vietnamese performers and traveled across provinces, sharing Bac Son’s music while also delivering practical farming advice. It’s a cultural bridge built on lyrics and learning. “When I sing my father’s songs,” she says, “people don’t just listen. They feel something real.”

But Thuy is also a business strategist with her eyes on the future. She’s constantly looking for ways to expand An Nong’s reach. Her focus is now on organic products, especially environmentally friendly pesticides. “Sustainability isn’t a trend—it’s a responsibility,” she says. She sees great potential in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta and plans to bring her products and training model to Cambodia, Myanmar, and Indonesia. “Farmers everywhere face the same problems. They want to grow healthy crops, protect their land, and feed their families.”

As she scales up the business, she’s also growing the reach of her music. Plans are underway to bring her troupe to bigger stages, not just in Vietnam but abroad. “Art is a language that needs no translation,” she says. And if that art can educate and inspire along the way, even better.

Her story is a lesson in what happens when you blend business with something more human. Profit is necessary, but not the only measure of success. “When people ask me what drives me, I say: It’s the people,” she says. “The farmers, the children, the workers—this is who we work for.”

Bich Thuy’s journey hasn’t been easy. Building a business from scratch is never simple, and doing it while maintaining a commitment to ethics, culture, and community is even harder. But she’s proof that it’s possible. With each training session, each school, each song—she’s drawing a bigger, more hopeful picture of what entrepreneurship can look like.

In a world that often separates the practical from the poetic, she refuses to choose. Her days are filled with spreadsheets and melodies, product demos and love songs. And somehow, it works.

To watch Bich Thuy in action—whether in a kindergarten classroom, a farmers’ meeting, or on a brightly lit stage—is to see someone who has found her rhythm. It’s not just the rhythm of music or business—it’s the rhythm of purpose. Her canvas is wide, her colors bold, and her impact deep.

As she likes to say, “We’re not just selling products. We’re growing something beautiful.” And with every song she sings and every crop that grows better because of her efforts, she proves it.