… California’s smallest farms — those cultivating less than 50 acres — comprise two-thirds of the state’s farms. The backbone of rural communities, they play a vital role in the nation’s food security and climate resilience: They hire and spend locally, bring competition to a market dominated by industrial-scale agriculture, and grow a greater diversity of crops than the biggest producers, which usually focus on a tiny range of products or a single commodity for fuel or processing. Research shows that small farms feature greater biodiversity and are more likely to use climate-resilient or regenerative practices. But the safety net that helps big operations through disasters — which are worsening with climate change — wasn’t built to protect them.