Wildfire Resilience Program

Identifying, developing, and delivering specialized recovery and preparedness resources, training opportunities, and emergency funding for small farms and communities in California impacted by wildfire and those seeking to prepare against future threats. 

What Does Resilience Mean for Farmers?

Farms often serve as buffers between fires and areas of high population density. Helping small farms become more resilient against wildfires has co-benefits for our communities. On-farm wildfire resilience relies on the concept of stacked practices such as implementing preparedness methods like structure hardening in conjunction with ecological farming benefits derived from prescribed/cultural burning, integrated livestock/grazing, etc. Pairing this approach, along with building the capacity of community partners to respond to emergencies, often reduces overall damage and recovery needs. Resilience is also founded on multiway sharing of knowledge and resources to address impacts, test new ideas, address gaps, and prepare for future disasters. 

Technical Assistance

Provided to CA-based agricultural operators seeking to access help with identifying best practices for fuel load reduction, wildfire recovery support, and matching appropriate funding sources with application guidance.

Resources

From tailored grazing programs and prescribed burn trainings to farmworker safety and livestock evacuation planning, we have you covered! Browse our collection of resources for farmers, community members, and agricultural professionals.

Podcasts, Social Media Groups, Publications

Get connected with others through these online, interactive groups and gain knowledge from the farming community!

Resilience Forum

Help us create a user driven forum by submitting questions! In the near future, users will be able to vote on answers and help improve outreach to farming communities.

Wildfire Funding Opportunities

Check out the emergency funding offered by CAFF and determine eligibility for other cost-share type programs from State and Federal agencies.

Stay Informed!

Subscribe to CAFF's monthly newsletter for the latest news and resources on small scale agriculture in CA. For Wildfire specific updates, make sure to check "Wildfire Resilience" in the Special Alerts check box list.

Latest News & Updates

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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

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CAFF’s Wildfire Resilience Team

CAFF’s Wildfire Resilience Team

Amber Schat

Wildfire Resilience Specialist

Connecting farmers recovering from or preparing for wildfire with critical services and support.

Amber Schat

Wildfire Resilience Specialist

Amber brings her technical assistance skills and passion for ecological land stewardship and equity to the Farmer Services Team through the Wildfire Resilience and Preparedness Program. She hails from the foothills of the western Sierra Nevada Mountains where her love of wild rivers, oak woodlands, and abundant wildlife are rooted. Amber’s interests in working lands, natural resource management, and conservation have taken her path across several states and three continents. She considers herself a lifelong learner and holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from UCSC with a focus in Sustainable Agriculture and a M.S. in Watershed Science and Policy from CSUMB. When not digging in the garden or experimenting with unorthodox baking methods, she can be found playing beach volleyball, mountain biking in the forest, writing poetry next to a cherished water body, or hunkered down with a good book.

       amber[at]caff.org