Hurricane Isaias Hits the Southeast Harvest: What It Means for Cotton, Peanuts, and Pecans
The Morning Harvest: Farm and Food News
No. 007, Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Today in 30 seconds
Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, on October 9 as a Category 2 storm, with only 10% of Georgia cotton picked.
Gardeners Basics is the third seed company to recall broccoli sprouting seeds tied to a 32 case Salmonella outbreak.
Iceberg lettuce is $65.50 to $68.75 a carton in Salinas and $2.28 a head in grocery ads, up 33% from a year ago.
Fresh cranberries ($2.66 a bag) and cauliflower ($3.14 a head) both dropped in price this week.
Raspberries yield 1 to 2 quarts per plant, and October is the month to test your soil for a spring planting.
Rutgers runs a three phase training program for new farmers, with the next course starting in May 2027.
How badly did Hurricane Isaias damage Southeast crops?
Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, at about 8:30 p.m. Central time on Friday, October 9, 2026, as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 105 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. It had peaked earlier that day as a major hurricane with 120 mph winds. It was the first Atlantic hurricane of 2026, and NOAA says it tied the record for the latest first hurricane of a season since at least 1905.
Highest reported gust: 117 mph near Oriole Beach, Florida (The Weather Channel).
Rain: more than 12 inches in about 13 hours at Bellwood, Alabama, and 12.06 inches in 24 hours at a Florida monitoring station.
Power: more than 840,000 customers out across Florida, Alabama, and Georgia on Saturday morning, October 10 (ABC News).
Deaths: at least four, two in Florida and two in Alabama.
The storm arrived in the middle of harvest. USDA’s Crop Progress report showed Georgia cotton only 10% harvested for the week ending October 4, with more than 80% of bolls open, and Georgia peanuts about one fifth harvested. Open cotton can be blown off the plant, and rain lowers color grades. Camp Hand, the University of Georgia Extension cotton agronomist, estimated about 80% of the state’s crop was exposed to two straight rainy weekends and expects lower grades and more trash in the lint. Mitt Walker of the Alabama Farmers Federation told RFD-TV that cotton is the most vulnerable crop there, that poultry losses followed the power outages, and that it is too early for a dollar estimate. Alabama Extension is collecting dated photos and videos of farm damage through Friday, October 16, at 5 p.m. For shoppers, no price effect has been established. USDA’s next Crop Progress report is due today at 4 p.m. Eastern.
Sources: The Weather Channel, ABC News, AgWeb, USDA Crop Progress, October 5, 2026, Southeast AgNet, RFD-TV, Alabama Extension
Which broccoli sprouting seeds are recalled for Salmonella?
Gardeners Basics of Spanish Fork, Utah, announced on October 8, 2026, that it is recalling its Waltham 29 Broccoli Sprouting Seeds because they may be contaminated with Salmonella, a bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. It is the third seed company to recall seeds from the same supplier lot, after EAK Distribution (Home Grown brand, October 2) and Eden Brothers (October 7), which we covered in issue 002.
Product: Gardeners Basics Waltham 29 Broccoli Sprouting Seeds, 1 pound (454 g) white and green resealable pouch, UPC 848137042889, marked “Packed for 2027.”
Supplier seed lot: W4105.
Sold: nationwide online, through Amazon, gardenersbasics.com, TikTok Shop, Walmart, eBay, and Etsy.
Outbreak: 32 illnesses, 3 hospitalizations, and no deaths in Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, per FDA’s October 9 update. The strain is Salmonella Bovismorbificans.
Earlier recalls on the same lot: Home Grown calabrese broccoli sprouting seeds, 8 oz, lot code AUG172026; Eden Brothers calabrese broccoli seeds, lots 1022067 and 1022068.
FDA found the outbreak strain in a seed sample from the supplier, which it has not named. Gardeners Basics said no illnesses had been reported to it as of October 6. What to do: stop using the seeds, do not eat them or any sprouts grown from them, seal them in a bag, and throw them away. Clean and sanitize jars and surfaces they touched. Refunds: info@gardenersbasics.com or 801-769-6181.
Sources: FDA recall notice, FDA outbreak investigation
Why is iceberg lettuce so expensive right now?
Iceberg lettuce is short at the source. USDA’s National FOB Review for Friday, October 9, 2026, describes Salinas-Watsonville, California, supply as very light, with demand exceeding supply and the market slightly higher. FOB, or shipping point, means the price at the packing shed before freight.
Salinas-Watsonville, carton of 24 film-wrapped heads: mostly $65.50 to $68.75 (range $54.95 to $71.95). That is roughly $2.73 to $2.86 a head.
Santa Maria, California, carton of 24: mostly $48.55 to $50.55.
Mexico, crossing through Texas, carton of 24: mostly $25.00 to $26.00.
National grocery ad price: $2.28 a head, compared with $2.24 the week before and $1.72 a year ago, a 33% increase (USDA National Retail Report, October 9, 2026).
The shipping point price is higher than the average retail ad price. USDA notes that some shipments are moving on prior bookings at lower prices, and advertised specials do not reflect every store’s shelf price. On the cause, Seashore Fruit and Produce’s October 7 market report cites lower yields in Salinas and Santa Maria and ongoing pressure from INSV (impatiens necrotic spot virus), a plant disease. Consolidated Concepts, a foodservice purchasing group, said on October 12 that elevated iceberg prices could last into November. For shoppers: expect smaller, lighter heads and fewer sales, and consider romaine hearts, which averaged $3.37 for a 3 count pack.
Sources: USDA National FOB Review, USDA National Retail Report, Seashore Fruit and Produce, Consolidated Concepts
What produce is in season in mid-October?
Fresh cranberries. The first big wave of fresh cranberries is in stores. USDA’s October 9 retail report shows a 12 oz bag averaging $2.66, down from $3.09 the week before and $2.96 a year ago, with the ad count tripling to 725. USDA’s August forecast put the 2026 U.S. crop at 7.87 million barrels (a barrel is 100 pounds): Wisconsin 4.8 million, Massachusetts 1.9 million, New Jersey 610,000, and Oregon 560,000. Wisconsin’s share is about 61%. Tip from University of Wisconsin Extension: choose plump, firm, deep red berries. They keep several weeks in the refrigerator and up to nine months sealed in the freezer.
Cauliflower. The average ad price fell to $3.14 a head from $3.96 the week before ($2.98 a year ago). At the shipping point in Salinas-Watsonville, a carton of 12 heads was mostly $17.45 to $20.90, and USDA called the market lower. Tip from Purdue Extension: look for compact, brightly colored curds and bright green leaves, and store the head in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel in the refrigerator. Skip heads with brown or spotted leaves.
Sources: USDA National Retail Report, USDA Crop Production, August 12, 2026, UW Extension, Purdue Extension
Can you grow raspberries in your backyard?
In much of the country, yes, and fall is when you prepare.
Yield: 1 to 2 quarts per plant in a well-established, healthy planting (University of Wisconsin Extension, publication A1610).
Lifespan: a planting can stay productive 12 to 15 years with good care.
Spacing: red raspberries 2 to 3 feet apart in rows at least 6 feet apart. A 25 foot row holds about 10 plants.
Sun and soil: full sun, well-drained soil, pH 6.0 to 6.8 (Wisconsin). Arkansas gives 5.5 to 6.5.
First fruit: plants start producing a year after planting (University of Minnesota Extension).
Types: summer-bearing varieties fruit on second year canes. Fall-bearing varieties fruit on first year canes from late summer until frost.
Climate matters. Raspberries grow best in cool regions. University of Arkansas Extension says they are generally poorly suited south of Missouri, recommends Heritage for northern Arkansas, and suggests Dormanred for central and southern parts of that state. Minnesota lists Heritage, Caroline, and Autumn Bliss among reds for cold climates. This month: test your soil, since Arkansas advises testing four to six months before a spring planting, and choose a sunny, well-drained site. If you would rather have it designed for you, Curated Nature plans and installs berry plantings: stop mowing grass, start growing fruit.
Sources: University of Wisconsin Extension, University of Minnesota Extension, University of Arkansas Extension
Garden State minute: how do you become a farmer in New Jersey?
Rutgers Cooperative Extension runs the Rutgers Beginner Farmer Training Program, also called RU Ready to Farm, from the Middlesex County EARTH Center in North Brunswick. It is built in three phases:
Phase 1, Online Basics: May through September. Online lectures, Zoom office hours every two weeks, four in-person farm tours, and a garlic planting workshop each November. Cost: $500.
Phase 2, Farm Training: February through October. The class manages a small diversified crop farm and runs a CSA (community supported agriculture, where customers buy a share of the harvest). Each person writes a farm business plan with a coach. Cost: $1,200 for individuals, $2,000 for partners.
Phase 3, Farm Business Incubator: open by application to strong Phase 2 graduates.
The next course starts in May 2027, registration opens in April 2027, and there is an interest list now. Rutgers is also running a virtual Sustainable Agriculture Seminar Series at noon Eastern, with the next session on soil health on Tuesday, October 20, and it is open online with registration. Why it matters outside New Jersey: the hardest part of starting a farm is the first two seasons of mistakes, and programs like this let you make them on a training farm. Check your own state’s land grant university extension service for a similar program.
Sources: Rutgers Beginner Farmer Training Program, Rutgers Plant and Pest Advisory
From the farm
Today at Curated Nature in Hammonton, we have clear skies! We will be picking up where we left off building our roof structure, replacing an exterior door to our office, and replacing our radiator to our well pump!
Own land? Stop mowing grass and start growing fruit
If you own land and want to turn it into a producing orchard, vineyard, or berry planting, Curated Nature can help. Design and consulting are available to landowners anywhere in the country, and full installation and ongoing management are offered in Southern New Jersey. Start here: https://www.curatednature.co/backyard-fruit-profits
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