The Alabama Fish Farming Center (AFFC) was?established in 1982?to assist a growing catfish industry. By 1990, the demands on the AFFC’s services made the original building located at the Farmer’s Market Authority in Greensboro, Alabama, no longer adequate. Producers began working with state legislators and successfully obtained funds through the Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee (SWCC). The SWCC then set up contracts with Auburn University Fisheries Department, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the USDA Soil and Water Conservation Service, and the Hale County Soil and Water District to hire a Fish Health Specialist, Aquaculturist, Agricultural Engineer, Administrator and a Technician. Richard Avery, a retired probate judge, obtained funds for a permanent home for the AFFC. Due to the continued fiscal shortfalls due to various reasons, Auburn officially took control of the AFFC in 2007. The AFFC is still located in this building today and is currently expanding. The AFFC has helped commercial farmers raising catfish, crawfish, sportfish, tilapia, and marine shrimp in west Alabama with Extension, research, water quality management, fish disease diagnostic programs, and microbiology testing. ?Providing free and accessible assistance alleviates costs to farmers that would be outsourced and could be time consuming and expensive. The AFFC also serves as a conduit for communication between the fish farming industry, Auburn University’s research and Extension community, and state/federal agencies to support the development of the aquaculture industry.?With the evolution of the catfish industry through the years, the AFFC has adjusted to the changing needs of the catfish producers in Alabama. Initially, the center focused on technical assistance and has recently since shifted towards a larger research role, while still assisting catfish farmers. The AFFC is presently staffed with two Extension faculty, an accountant, two technical support staff members, a postdoctoral research fellow, a part-time fish health specialist, and several graduate students. Although the team is modest in size, they carry out a large volume of work in support of the Alabama aquaculture industry.