THIS RESEARCH-EXTENSION PROJECT WILL SUPPORT THE PRODUCTIVE AND SOCIAL VIABILITY OF RURAL AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES FACING CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRES IN CALIFORNIA. IN THE WESTERN REGION, THE RISK OF HIGH-INTENSITY AND UNPREDICTABLE WILDFIRES THREATENS AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES AT ALARMING AND INCREASING SCALES. BASED ON 6 YEARS OF CLIMATE RISK EDUCATION AND AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF 10 STAKEHOLDERS, THIS PROJECT PROVIDES TIMELY RESEARCH AND TRAINING TO FAMILY FARMERS, RANCHERS AND PROFESSIONALS ON WILDFIRE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE AND RECOVERY.THE PROJECT WILL CONDUCT A STATEWIDE SURVEY AND SEMI-INTERVIEWS TO IDENTIFY: 1.) THE TYPES OF IMPACTS FARMERS EXPERIENCE DURING AND AFTER WILDFIRES 2.) THE STRATEGIES, RESOURCES, SOCIAL CONTEXTS OF FARMERS ABLE TO COPE. THEN, THE 'FARMING THROUGH THE WILDFIRE SEASON' SELF-ASSESSMENT WORKBOOK WILL BE DEVELOPED TO GUIDE PRACTITIONERS IN STRATEGIES FOR RISK REDUCTION, WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS, DISASTER RESPONSE AND RECOVERY. FINALLY, 5 TRAINING SESSIONS WILL BE HELD WITH 90 FARMERS AND 30 AGRICULTURAL PROFESSIONALS IN REGIONS AT HIGH-RISK TO WILDFIRES.THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES THE FOLLOWING AFRI FARM BILL PRIORITY AREAS: BIOENERGY, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND ENVIRONMENT; AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY; AND AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS AND RURAL COMMUNITIES. THE PROPOSAL MEETS THE PREDOCTORAL PROGRAM AREA PRIORITY OF CULTIVATING FUTURE LEADERS WHO CAN SOLVE THE EMERGING CHALLENGE OF AGRICULTURAL CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND WHO WORK IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND SCIENCE POLICY. IT ALSO MEETS THE EWD OBJECTIVE OF ADVANCING SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE AND DELIVERING SCIENCE-BASED KNOWLEDGE TO END USERS.