EAST ALABAMA RURAL INNOVATION AND TRAINING HUB

Avondale Mills had always been a place where people came to work, learn, and grow. It anchored a local economy and gave generations a path forward. When operations ceased in 2006, and again when fire destroyed the Eva Jane plant in 2011, the loss left a fracture in the town’s identity. Regenerating this hometown hero is at the heart of what we do at Shipshape AgWorks.​

In partnership with EARTH, we’re transforming this historic ground into a Hybrid Agricultural Base—a living system for food, learning, and climate resilience. A patchwork of diverse crops, renewable energy systems, and tech-enabled upgrades are being woven together to create a new kind of infrastructure. This model is rooted in care, precision, and place.

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We’re building systems that combine AI-integrated hydroponics, adaptive greenhouse cultivation, and mycological bioinnovation. All of this is powered by renewable energy and engineered for closed-loop water use.

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The legacy of this place lives on through the people restoring it, the systems taking shape inside it, and the vision guiding its return to public life.

Avondale Mills helped shape the past of Sylacauga. Now it’s helping shape the future.​ We’re proud to grow here—and proud to grow what’s next.