All posts in Before Disaster Strikes
Wildfire Community Preparedness Day 2023
Happy wildfire community preparedness day! Have you ever looked at your calendar and noticed there’s a holiday that you’ve never heard of before? Sure, there are the ones that are quite well-known, but every once in a while you see
Consejos para Agricultores Familiares Preparando por Evacuaciones durante un Incendio Forestal
Hoy en día, el cambio climático, la propagación de plantas invasivas y la actualización de prácticas agrícolas están aumentando constantemente la frecuencia de los incendios forestales. Como resultado, es importante seguir pasos para mantenerse bien informado y preparado antes de
Episode 3: First Rain Farm- Nevada City
In this episode, we travel to First Rain Farm in Nevada County, where Tim Van Wagner is integrating a number of effective wildfire preparation methods on his property, as well as those of his neighbors and surrounding community. By combining
Webinar: Climate Conversations: Insurance
A conversation about how to ensure the insurance industry can continue to support Americans amidst increasing climate hazards.
Webinar: Financial Prep For Disaster 101
From Farmer Campus, this recorded workshop will give you an overview of the financial resources available to farmers in the event that a disaster strikes.
Karuk Good Fire Report
Current Barriers to the Expansion of Cultural Burning and Prescribed Fire in California and Recommended Solutions
Webinar: Defensible Space and Infrastructure Hardening for Farms and Ranches
Watch the Defensible Space and Infrastructure Hardening for Farms and Ranches Webinar Recording here. Password: pT2XQ&sb
Episode 2: Wild Oat Hollow Penngrove, CA
In this episode, Sarah Keiser of Wild Oat Hollow in Penngrove, CA describes her entry into ranching and how her love of the land positioned her to become a leader in developing and supporting community grazing cooperatives. Join us as
New Podcast Season: Farmer Stories of Wildfire Recovery & Preparedness
CAFF’s Wildfire Resilience Program provides specialized recovery and preparedness resources for small farms and communities in California impacted by wildfire and those seeking to prepare against future threats. One of the best mediums for conducting this type of outreach and
Breaking Down Soil Compaction: Does It Increase Forage Production?
Maintaining a healthy and vigorous pasture should be a major objective of grazing management, but it should also be used as a tool for maintaining acceptable soil physical conditions.
Understanding Livestock Grazing Impacts from UC ANR
Information on the impacts of livestock grazing, presented in a comprehensive and accessible guide.
The Combustibility of Landscape Mulches from the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
Using the results from this project, recommendations are offered concerning the use of mulches in wildfire hazard areas.
Wildfire Home Retrofit Guide
This Guide includes specific recommendations for how to retrofit existing components of a home to withstand wildfire. The illustrations throughout the Guide are intended to show best practices for reducing the vulnerability of a home to wildfire.
Webinar: Small Farms Disaster Insurance Part 1
From Farmer Campus, this webinar provides an overview of insurance for small farms, including how insurance works and what to buy.
Fire Safe Council Handbook
A Fire Safe Council is a coalition of public and private sector organizations that share a common, vested interest in wildfire prevention and loss mitigation.
Fighting Fire with Fire: Policy Options to Increase the Use of Prescribed Fire on National Forests
From the Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition (RVCC), this report provides an overview of the current science and need for prescribed fire, describes barriers to the use of prescribed fire on public lands in the western U.S. managed by the
California’s Strategic Plan for Expanding the Use of Beneficial Fire
The purpose of this Strategic Plan is to guide the expansion of beneficial fire across the state through 2025, as set forth in California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan.
Pathways to Prescribed Fire Report March 2022
From the Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition (RVCC), three case studies highlighting opportunities for community based nonprofits to build cooperative burning capacity.
Maneuvering Through Wildfire Evacuations – for Small Farmers
Farmers face increasing fire frequency, size and severity due to several factors, including climate change, the spread of invasive grasses and by changing farming practices. If you live and farm in California, wildfire is not an “if” but a “when”.
5 Key Wildfire Resilience Practices
It’s not always obvious that some of the ecological farming practices used frequently by farmers, also provide wildfire protection and recovery benefits. Check out the infographic below which was developed by our cross team at CAFF to learn more! Click
Navigating Public Safety Power Shut Offs for Farmers
PG&E will implement a Public Safety Power Shutoff, also called a PSPS, in response to severe weather as a public safety measure. After the catastrophic fires of 2017 and 2018, they now turn off power in a proactive attempt to
Food Safety & Wildfires Case Study: Brisa Ranch
Key Details: Location: San Francisco bay area , near Pescadero Acres in Production: 16 Main Crops: Fruit, vegetables, flowers Wildfire: CZU Complex in 2020 3rd Party Audit(s): USDA Harmonized GAP Certified Organic by National Organic Program: Yes Owners: Cristóbal, Cole,
Micro Farm Program
Information about The Micro Farm program offered through the USDA. The Micro Farm program provides a risk management safety net for all commodities on your farm under one insurance policy. This insurance plan is tailored for any farm with up
Introducing The New Micro Farm Insurance Program For Farmer And Ranchers
This recorded webinar with Catharine Anderson the Risk Management Agency covers the new Micro Farm program. This new crop insurance program is offered through the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection policy and is tailored to small producers who sell their products locally with operations that earn
Hooves & Hands How We Work Together to Stay, to Heal, and to Coexist in Fire Ecosystems Facing Climate Change
This book is an anthology of resilient communities telling their story of how they built collaboration with people and ruminants. Each one is told with a different voice, a different experience, yet all are connected through the hands of their
Video: Hunter Grazing Cooperative Overview
This video details the work of Sarah Keiser and her efforts in Community Grazing Cooperatives.
Fire Is Family: A Conversation With The Yurok Tribe’s Cultural Fire Management Council
Tribal members Elizabeth Azuz and Margo Robbins join Farmer Campus’s Farmers Build Fire Resilience online course to share knowledge with producers learning to live with the repercussions of an intensifying wildfire season.
Building Vulnerability to Ember Exposure
As part of its research effort to study and understand the vulnerabilities of buildings subjected to wildfire exposures, IBHS developed the capability of simulating ember exposures on building components and assemblies. These videos show the results of their simulations.
Sonoma Biochar Project
Biochar is a specialized form of charcoal that is produced by heating biomass using high heat (typically 350 C to 1000 C) in low-oxygen environments, and that is suitable for use in agriculture. It is commonly used as a soil
Quick Intro to On-Farm Fire Preparedness
In this 7 minute overview, you will learn about basic concepts to get your farm prepared for wildfire season.
Fighting Farmland and Rangeland Wildfires
A reference for employers engaged in Oregon OSHA’s Agriculture (Division 4) activities.
Wildfire Preparedness in Agriculture – Online Course Certified for OR OSHA
This course is designed to prepare farmers, ranchers and rural residents for wildfires. You will cover wildfire risk awareness, emergency response and prevention planning, and creating defensible space. Over the course of seven modules, you will learn how to create
Forest Management Handbook for Small-Parcel Landowners in the Sierra Nevada and Southern Cascade Range
A significant portion of Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades forests are owned and managed as small parcels (10 to 100 acres) by nonindustrial private landowners. This handbook is for such landowners; it provides succinct, straight-forward, and thorough information to help
Ready on the Farm Disasters Preparedness Plan
From Farmer Campus and Nuestra Comunidad, Disaster Preparedness Plan for farming or ranching families, businesses and their workforce.
Go-Kits and Wildfire Emergency Plans from Bee-Well Farms
Getting your farm and crew prepared for a disaster like a wildfire can feel overwhelming – but having a plan and Go-Bags ahead of time is a critical step in decreasing your risk and increasing your ability to safely and
Intro to On-Farm Wildfire Preparedness with BeeWell Farms, Farmer Campus and CAFF
As we head into spring, there’s no better time to evaluate your on-farm risk, get your evacuation plan made and practice your response plan ahead of fire season! Check out this workshop recording featuring guest farmer educators Austin and Melissa
Service Providers for Small Farmers – Crowd Sourced
From Farmer Campus, this crowd sourced spreadsheet contains recommendations for farmers to obtain support and connect with agents around disaster and crop insurance, as well as bookkeepers, CPAs, and attorneys.
CA Dept. of Insurance
The California Department of Insurance (CDI) provides several information guides, tips and tools to help you understand home/residential insurance so that you can make the best decision for your situation. If you do not find the information you need, we invite you
The FAIR Plan
The FAIR Plan provides insurance as a last resort, and should be used only after a diligent effort to obtain coverage in the voluntary market has been made.
Community Grazing
Build resilience by transforming our wildland-urban-interface from neighborhoods into communities with grazing ruminants while increasing each community’s ability to withstand wildfire and drought by grazing livestock across property lines.
Farm Operational Continuity Template
What if you or members of your crew get sick? Use this template, combining standard operations procedures with emergency planning to help keep your farm going when unexpected events happen.
Planned Herbivory in the Management of Wildfire Fuels
Grazing is most effective at treating smaller diameter live fuels that can greatly impact the rate of spread of a fi re along with the flame height. Wildfires are increasing in number, intensity, and size. Five of the most significant
Wildfire Insurance 101
Have you ever gone on a family vacation for more than two weeks, during which you lived out of a suitcase? If your family is anything like mine, it can get pretty stressful! Now imagine having to live in temporary
Wildfires: Flood Insurance
Floods are the most common and costly natural hazard in the nation. After a wildfire, the flood risk increases significantly. The time to buy flood insurance is now. Homeowners, renters and business owners need to protect themselves financially from the devastating losses flooding can
Community Wildfire Protection Plans
This series offers a set of lessons learned concerning the collaborative processes that influence and guide the development of community wildfire protection plans (CWPPs) under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA 2003). The lessons learned are offered in relatively short
Communities at Risk
To help protect people and their property from potential catastrophic wildfire, the National Fire Plan directs funding to be provided for projects designed to reduce the fire risks to communities. A fundamental step in achieving this goal was the identification
Fire-Resistant Plants for Landscapes
As homeowners continue to build in the wild and urban interface, they must take special precautions to protect their homes. One way to do this is to create a defensible space around the home, and one important factor can be
Firewise USA
NFPA’s Firewise USA® program teaches people how to adapt to living with wildfire and encourages neighbors to work together and take action now to prevent losses. Join the growing network of more than 1,500 recognized Firewise USA® sites from across
A Land Manager’s Guide for Creating Fire-Resistant Forests
This publication provides an overview of how various silvicultural treatments affect fuel and fire behavior, and how to create fire-resistant forests. In properly treated, fire-resistant forests, fire intensity is reduced and overstory trees are more likely survive than in untreated
Animals in Disaster online training course, FEMA
This course is intended to help animal owners, care providers, and industries to understand incident management. The objectives of this course are to increase awareness and preparedness among animal owners and care providers, and to describe how typical hazards affect
Guide to Disaster Preparedness: Ag & Natural Resources
When disasters strike, animals as well as people need to be safely relocated. This guide is intended to provide useful information about developing a disaster response plan, about disaster preparedness training and resources, and to stimulate your thoughts on how
Family Emergency Plan (en español)
Plan de Comunicaciones Familiares – Es probable que su familia no esté junta cuando ocurra un desastre, de modo que deben plani˜car cómo se van a comunicar y decidir de antemano lo que h arán en diferentes situaciones.
Family Emergency Communication Plan
This document outlines three steps to take to create your Family Emergency Communication Plan: collect contact information for your family and other important contacts; make sure everyone carries a copy of this information with them; and have regular household meetings
Crop Insurance, USDA
Crop insurance is purchased by agricultural producers, including farmers, ranchers and others to protect against either the loss of their crops due to natural disasters, or the loss of revenue due to declines in the prices of agricultural commodities.
HALTER Project
The HALTER Project provides first responders and their communities with information and resources for animal emergencies. In any situation: road accident, fire, flood, earthquake, landslide, or pasture, the best outcome for animals and humans is achieved through teamwork between trained first
Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network
The Network connects and supports people and communities who are striving to live more safely with wildfire, a catalyst for spreading best practices and innovations in fire adaptation concepts nationwide. The purpose of FAC Net is to exchange information, collaborate
Farm Emergency Checklist & Contact Form
Protecting your farm involves a number of considerations – family members, co-workers or employees, buildings, equipment, livestock, and crops. Planning ahead for all-hazard situations can help to minimize the impact and speed the recovery process for you and your farm.
Landscape Debris Burning Safety
During certain times of the year and in certain parts of the state, residential landscape debris burning of dead vegetation is allowed. However, homeowners should always check with their local fire station or CAL FIRE station, as well as local air
Developing a Wildfire Plan for Livestock
With the fires raging across the state, we are reminded once again of the risk wildfire poses to all of our farms and ranches. It is a good time to revisit (or create) a farm and ranch safety plan and
Correct Potential Hazards Before a Disaster
Identify hazards in advance! During and right after a disaster, any household item that can move, fall, break, or cause a fire becomes a home hazard. To minimize possible danger, inspect your home now to find and correct potential hazards.
Purchasing a Back-Up Generator for the Farm
Feeling the effects of disasters has made farmers consider the purchase of a gasoline-powered generator to run household appliances and perform farm-related tasks. Knowing how to use generators safely is important to protect life and property.
Family Escape Plan
Do you know how to escape from your home if it’s on fire? During a true emergency, the simplest of things, like leaving your home, can become very difficult. In today’s home made up of plastic and synthetics, you may
Saving the Whole Family
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has developed this booklet to help you avoid having to leave your animals stranded in the event of a disaster or an evacuation. Tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, fires, blizzards, terrorism… Devastating natural and man-made disasters
Webinar: Saving the Ranch
Wildfire preparedness tips from a firefighter, veterinarian, and ranch owner. Presented by the UC Davis Western Institute for Food Safety and Security and the Halter Project.
Disaster Planning for Livestock
Transporting livestock animals to safety when disaster strikes can be difficult. Disaster preparedness is important for all animals, but it is particularly important for livestock because of the animals’ size and the requirements needed to shelter and transport them. If
Creating Wildfire Adapted Homes & Landscapes
What Can Be Done to Reduce Structure Loss from Wildfire? Treating the Vegetation: Defensible Space. Protecting Homes through Better Design and Materials. Defensible Space as Management Zones. Can the Fire Department Safely Drive the Access Roads to Your House?
Fire Forward: Building Ecosystem Resilience Together
Fire Forward, a program of Audubon Canyon Ranch, brings a unique blend of science-based program design and community organizing as it seeks to become a model of fire-adapted communities tending fire-adapted landscapes.
Wildfire & Rangeland Management: Mediating Impacts to Conservation & Ranching
A series of presentations from California ranchers, technical advisors, and researchers on wildfire risk management in rangelands. From the California Rangeland Conservation Coalition.