By Faith Railey, 2026 Sunbelt Ag Expo Social Media Intern
Land is limiting. You can only grow as many plants as you have land to support. Aquaponics changes that equation.
The aquaponic systems showcased in the Aquaculture Building demonstrate that crop production is no longer limited by the acres of land you own.
There, you will see a small-scale tabletop aquaponics system, an IBC aquaponic setup, information, presentations, an Ask the Expert Booth, activities for the kids and cooking demonstrations. These demonstrations show what aquaponics systems can produce and how they can be implemented at home or in the classroom.
David Cline is an Associate Extension Professor at Auburn University, which is a part of the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic science.
“We have been doing aquaponics for at least 10 years,” Cline said. “Demonstrating what you can do with small-scale aquaponics, because much of the interest in the U.S, and even around the world, is related to small-scale aquaponics. So, for people who would like to grow their own food and know how it is treated and be as organic as they can, it’s a nice sustainable system.”
The small-scale aquaponic tabletop system is used as a tool in STEM and STEAM education. Through this system, students are taught subjects such as chemistry, math, biology, physics, plumbing and carpentry. Some educators creatively incorporate aspects of business, food safety and more.
A larger IBC aquaponic setup is featured in the Aquaculture Building. It has a 300-gallon plastic tank inside a metal cage that has been converted to a small aquaponics system. In this system, the fish live at the bottom and the plants live at the top. These systems can be used outdoors, such as in a backyard.
“We have an aquaponic demonstration greenhouse,” Cline said. “Out of that one system similar to the IBC system, we produced 5,622 cherry tomatoes as well as about 100 peppers, and altogether that was a production of about 170 pounds of food out of a 4-foot by 4-foot footprint”.
Demonstrations will include how to get started and some of the theories behind aquaponics. Attendees can visit the Ask the Expert booth to get individualized help. Turtles and aquatic insects will be on-site for viewing. One cooking demonstration each day will be featured to show visitors fun ways to incorporate the food produced by these systems.
Educators, farmers and home-grown enthusiasts will all find something of interest in the Aquaculture Building. The good food and educational opportunities are limitless.
