“ Our next phase will be fundraising to raise the money towards the canopy of the porch,” Dawsey said.“ We are also working to raise the furniture and appliances to finish out the teaching kitchen.”
She said the expansion will have a great impact on the community. Staff will be able to better teach garden-to-table skills classes to develop lifelong sustainable living habits for all ages and create a lasting legacy of healthier eating habits for future generations.
The facility also provides workforce development in agriculture and food services. Phase 2’ s goal is just over $ 80,000.“ The shell of our teaching kitchen is built, but now we need to outfit the kitchen with six teaching stations, appliances, technology and supplies,” Dawsey said.“ We want to develop a hands-on garden outside and inside the kitchen with raised beds right out the door and aeroponics towers in the kitchen with fresh herbs.”
The space will host field trips for school children from across north and central Alabama along with classes for farmers, ServSafe and preservation classes, Diabetes education classes and team-building projects. The list is ever-expanding.
Dawsey’ s budget includes $ 21,500 for kitchen equipment, $ 4,700 for electronics and technology, $ 9,000 for furniture and stainless steel tables and $ 5,000 for landscaping.
These resources, along with funding for curriculum and fresh local produce, will continue the Agriplex’ s focus on sustainability through agriculture and school programs, public programs and summer camps.
“ We also feature outdoor exhibits with rain water collection, irrigation with rain water, solar panels, composting, vermicomposting, organic gardens and backyard chickens on our campus where the teaching kitchen is located,” Dawsey said.“ This will enable us to harvest produce, eggs and herbs to bring inside the kitchen and make healthy sustainable meals.”
Dawsey said offering fresh produce to consumers is not sufficient to help people develop healthy food habits.
“ When we donated fresh local produce to people in need in the past, they often did not know how to turn the fresh, local produce into a healthy and nutritious meal,” she explained.“ That is why we decided to build a teaching kitchen and offer classes for all ages regarding healthy food choices and adequate preparation.”
She believes it’ s important to show the younger generation where their food comes from, how it is being raised and harvested and how they can turn the local produce into delicious and healthy meals.
“ The teaching kitchen will enable us to have field trips from Cullman and surrounding counties to the Agriplex to teach students how to grow their own food, how they can prevent food insecurity and how to prepare a healthy meal by themselves at home,” she said.
According to the Agriplex’ s 2025 Impact Report, the non-profit served 23,677 participants in 26 counties— 5,784 on-site and 19,269 off-site— and hosted 360 events.
Volunteers served 2,491 at a value of $ 76,199 for the value of time volunteered.
Thirty-four schools in 10 counties— that’ s 6,390 students in grades K-12— were served by Agriplex programs.
The Agriplex also provided 2,638 pounds of produce for 21 feeding agencies through the process of gleaning, the practice of collecting excess fresh foods from farms and gardens to provide them to those in need. This activity helps reduce food waste and ensures access to nutritious food for individuals and families facing food insecurity.
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2143 2nd Ave., SW, Cullman, AL 35055 • 256-734-3981
22 | PROFILE 2026