** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THIS PROJECT SUPPORTS THE MISSION OF THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BY ADDRESSING THE HATCH ACT AREAS OF (I) SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION AND USE, (II) PLANT AND ANIMAL PRODUCTION, PROTECTION, AND HEALTH, (III) PROCESSING, DISTRIBUTION, SAFETY, MARKETING, AND UTILIZATION OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, AND (IV) SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE.WE WILL ANALYZE THE EFFECTS OF WEATHER, CLIMATE CHANGE, ADAPTATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCE SCARCITY THROUGH THE LENS OF CALIFORNIAN IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE. WE BEGIN BY EXPLORING THE EFFECT OF WEATHER AND CLIMATE CHANGE ON SPECIALTY CROP PRODUCTION, HIGHLY RELEVANT TO THE TOPIC AREA OF PLANT PRODUCTION. PREVIOUS WORK IN THIS LITERATURE FOCUSES ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON THE EFFECT ON QUANTITY. BUT QUALITY MATTERS - UPSTREAM BUYERS VALUE QUALITY AND SO FARMERS ARE PAID DEPENDING ON THE QUALITY OF THEIR PRODUCTION. WE WILL QUANTIFY THE EFFECT OF WEATHER AND CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE REVENUE OF SPECIALTY CROP GROWERS THROUGH BOTH QUANTITY AND QUALITY PATHWAYS. WEWILL ALSO MEASURE THE EFFECTS ON POST-HARVEST LOSSES, WHICH RELATES TO THE TOPIC AREA ON PROCESSING AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.OUR ANALYSIS ON SPECIALTY CROPS BENEFITS FROM ACTIVE COLLABORATION WITH INDUSTRY PARTNERS. WE USE OBSERVATIONAL DATA ON QUALITY, YIELD, PRICE, AND GROWER PRACTICES FOR THOUSANDS OF FIELDS IN CALIFORNIA. THANKS TO THIS UNIQUELY DETAILED DATA, WE ARE ABLE UNCOVER COMMON PITFALLS THAT BIAS MOST ESTIMATES OF CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS.AGAINST A BACKDROP OF EXTREME DROUGHT, HEAT WAVES, AND A CHANGING CLIMATE, CLIMATE-SMART PRACTICES ARE CRITICAL TO IMPROVING RESILIENCE IN THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR. WE ALSO ASK HOW ALL IRRIGATED CROP PRODUCERS IN CALIFORNIA ENGAGE WITH CLIMATE-SMART PRACTICES. WE EXPLORE HOW GROWERS' CHARACTERISTICS, DECISIONS, AND TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION AFFECT THEIR CLIMATE RESILIENCE. THIS WORK STRONGLY RELATES TO THE TOPIC AREAS ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION AND USE.