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The next wave: Introducing aquatic horticulture to Alabama classrooms

Published: April 13, 2022

Alabama 4-H helps transform youth into ‘resourceful citizens and responsible leaders’

“It’s like a marriage of aqua and hydroponics.”

That’s aquaponics, a food production system that simultaneously provides an environment for aquatic animals and plants to thrive. Now, students at Deshler High School in Tuscumbia can learn about it through programming from Alabama 4-H.

Alabama 4-H is the largest youth development program in the state, with a presence in all 67 counties and over 125,700 youth reached each year. For more than 100 years, the 4-H program, made possible by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and land-grant university partners, has focused on teaching in areas such as agriculture, STEM and natural resources.

“I went through 4-H myself, so the ability to help youth receive similar teachings that I did as a kid is a real full-circle moment,” says Leslie Moore Goins, a Tuscumbia-based 4-H Foundation Regional Extension Agent. “The goal at the end of the day is to help shape them into resourceful citizens and responsible leaders.”

The out-of-school program is run by a land-grant through Auburn University and Alabama A&M University, where regional extension agents like Goins are just one of many partners that come together to enrich youth development. The activities, geared towards those aged 9 through 18, offer everything from clubs to camping and one-off enrichment classes.

“For many students, 4-H provides a place for students to thrive in areas that aren’t just sports,” says Goins.

In recent months, Enbridge made a $5,000 Fueling Futures grant to Alabama 4-H as part of our commitment to supporting vibrant and sustainable communities. The funding purchases a complete aquaponics system and supports with labor and material supply costs for Deshler High School.

“This environmental investment means a lot,” says Goins. “Students will be exposed to how fish and gardens grow, which in turn could expose them to education and career paths they may not have considered otherwise.”

Like so many other organizations, Alabama 4-H was forced to pivot away from in-person teaching and gatherings of students during COVID-19. Despite fears of program quality being compromised, the results were surprisingly positive.

“I’m so impressed with our team—we were able to pull together virtual programming throughout the pandemic that was truly amazing,” says Goins. “Now, the door is open for us to offer a mixed delivery of classes and programming all the time.”

So what kind of aquaculture might one find in an aquaponics system? In terms of organisms and food, anything seems to go.

“You might find anything from crayfish to snails to prawns in one of these systems, and you can grow tomatoes and leafy greens at the same time,” says Goins.

“It’s kind of like our overall programming—you can find something unique and interesting for anybody.”

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