ALABAMA STATE PROFILE

ALABAMA

Here is another one of the 36 state profiles I wrote for a real estate company!

If Alabama is known for anything it’s known for its southern hospitality. The state's charm invites you in and its sweet lands make you feel right at home. Entering the state from the north you are met with the Cumberland Plateau followed by ridges and valleys in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Even the trees of the old-growth Hickory and Oak forests seem to wave a cordial Alabama hello to hunters as they enjoy the state's 22 million acres of forest. Plenty of habitats to support all those White-Tail Deer, Eastern Turkey, Feral Hogs, and many other highly sought-after game animals. Alabama’s forests cover 70% of the state making it welcoming to outdoorsmen and foresters alike. Forestry is the largest industry in Alabama, ranking 3rd in the United States for acres of timber with 23 billion cubic feet available.

Don’t be fooled, Alabama isn’t just known for good manners it’s also known for hard work. If you grabbed a shovel and started to dig in central Alabama’s coastal plain you’d find some of the darkest, richest soil in the world. Alabama has over 43,000 working farms on 8.9 million acres. When you get your hands in this soil, it is easy to see why. Alabama grows nearly half of America's peanuts as well as a high percentage of cotton, soybeans, and nursery plants. And when that southern smell of pecan pie wafts from a country kitchen and into your heart you can be sure many of those pecans were grown here.

Exploring Alabama is always exciting, with adventure around every corner. 22 state parks and over 2 million acres of public lands offer a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities and showcase some of the hidden beauty of the area. Cathedral Caverns State Park is just one location to enjoy the many caves and caverns that are hidden deep underneath the Heart of Dixie. From 104-foot high Desota Falls in the northeast to Rock Falls near Dothan in the south, Alabama's natural wonders are ready to be sought out, experienced, and enjoyed.

Alabama's forests change from dominant hardwoods in the north to Short-Leaf and Loblolly Pines in the center of the state merging into beautiful Southern Longleaf Pine in the south. Every step is cushioned with pine straw as you walk through a Longleaf Pine forest. The blanket of 12-18 inch needles completely cover the forest floor and the invigorating, tangy scent of pine satisfies the thirst for some time in the wilderness. The USDA currently has a "Longleaf Pine Initiative" to restore and protect these magnificent forests. Southern Alabama swamps and forests produce ample opportunity for turkey, waterfowl, small game, and big game hunting that even includes the American Alligator. Anglers are thrilled to find Alabama’s rivers and lakes filled with bass, panfish, and their staple of the backwoods cuisine, fried catfish.

Alabama's variety of topography becomes complete as you reach the southern coast. It's fitting that the landscape starts with Appalachia's foothills in the north only to finish with your feet in the sugary white sands of the Gulf of Mexico to the south. These beaches seem like they were dumped right out of grandma’s sugar canister. Sip a sweet tea while you enjoy the sunshine and smell the salty spray of the sea. Make yourself comfortable and take in all the state has to offer. It sure isn't hard to figure out why America considers this land "Sweet Home Alabama."

If you are looking for a sweet slice of Alabama to call home check out the many rural and private land listings below.

STATE PROFILE STATS

BIG GAME

White Tail Deer, American Alligator

SMALL GAME

Duck, Goose, Turkey, Bobwhite Quail, Coyote, Feral Hog, Dove, Rabbit, Sandhill Crane, Fox, Bobcat

TOTAL PUBLIC LAND ACRES

2,140,053

ANNUAL RAINFALL

56 Inches

FARMLAND by ACRE

8,900,000

FOREST by ACRE

22,000,000

TOP 3 AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES

1. Poultry (Broiler Chickens and Eggs)

2. Cattle (and Calves)

3. Nursery and Greenhouse Products