Subteams

To understand the needs of rural Alabama's top industries, you need to understand the people behind them. AURPI's Social Science team is regularly conducting interviews and surveys with sawmill managers, loggers, and rural residents to better understand workforce dynamics and community needs. Over the past year, the Social Science Team conducted 43 in-depth interviews with agricultural and forestry business owners and gathered over 12,000 words of field notes.

Recent Projects:

Launched the statewide Alabama Farm Poll, which surveyed 579 farmers about quality of life, challenges, and opportunities within the industry.

Published "Alabama in Focus: Population Trends Snapshot 2005-2024", which discusses the difference between natural population change versus migration, as well as how both have impacted rural and urban Alabama counties over the last 19 years.

Future Goals for Helping Rural Alabama:

Looking ahead to 2026, the Social Science Team has ambitious plans. They will launch the next full implementation of the Alabama Farm Poll, continue qualitative interviews with forestry businesses and rural small business owners, and publish reports from their 2025 data collection efforts. These future initiatives will no doubt continue to build an understanding of rural livelihoods, workforce challenges, and industry needs, which will further inform AURPI's mission to support communities across Alabama.