All posts in Fire Survivor Stories

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

Episode 1: Turkey Tail Farm – Yankee Hill
In this episode we visit Cheetah Tchudi at his diversified operation in Yankee Hill, Butte County, CA. Cheetah shares his experience surviving the 2018 Paradise wildfire, and some methods for recovery; addressing toxic ash using fungi to capture and and

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,

California Farmers Face a Long Road to Recovery After Wildfires
CIVIL EATS – At the peak of the state’s fire season, we spoke to five farmers who endured wildfires over the past two years. Here are their stories. David Kaisel had completed his weekly trip to the Ferry Plaza farmers’

Fire Survivor: David Kaisel, Capay Mills
David Kaisel of Capay Mills in Rumsey, CA David Kaisel first came to the Capay Valley in Northern California about 30 years ago to learn to paddle white water on Cache Creek. “I remember coming up here when the river’s

Fire Survivor: Melissa & Austin Lely, Bee-Well Farms
College sweethearts Melissa and Austin Lely knew they wanted to make a life together not just living off the land, but giving back to it. So after graduating from Chico State in 2012, they jumped at the chance to live

Fire Survivor: David Cooper, Oak Hill Farm
About Oak Hill Farm For seven decades, Oak Hill Farm has used sustainable agricultural practices on about 25 acres of farmland and has protected hundreds of acres of native oak woodland on the western slope of the Mayacamas Mountains in