The Morning Harvest: Farm and Food News, No. 025, Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Today in 30 seconds
Top story: USDA's direct farm operating loan rate is 5.625 percent for November, up from 4.625 percent in January.
Recall: Vitality Works is recalling 365 Whole Foods Market ashwagandha capsules (120-count bottle) over possible Salmonella, and no illnesses are reported.
Why it costs: California strawberries went from $16 a flat on October 21 to $20 to $22 a flat on October 26 after rain, and a flat is eight one-pound containers.
In season: persimmons are $1.51 each, pomegranates $3.12 each and Brussels sprouts $2.82 a pound in October 30 advertised prices, with wholesale at $30 to $32 for a 25 pound box of Fuyu persimmons, $48 to $50 for a two-layer box of pomegranates and $28.45 to $31.65 for a 25 pound carton of Brussels sprouts.
Could you grow this: Oregon State says a mature elderberry plant gives 12 to 15 pounds of fruit, so four plants is roughly 48 to 60 pounds (our math).
Garden State: the Next Generation Farmer Fund gives $10,000 to $50,000 for conservation practices, with a December 1 deadline.
What are USDA farm loan rates for November 2026?
What changed, and the ladder since January. USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA), the federal government's farm lender, posted its November 2026 lending rates on Monday, November 2, effective November 1. The rate on a direct farm operating loan, the loan for seed, fertilizer, fuel and labor, is now 5.625 percent. That is up from 5.375 percent in October, a quarter point in one month, and up from 4.625 percent in January, a full percentage point in ten months. Earlier points on the same rate were 4.500 percent in November 2024, 4.875 percent in September 2025, 4.625 percent in December 2025 and 4.750 percent in March 2026. We could not find FSA's October or November 2025 rates. Here are the November direct rates, from FSA's rate page checked on November 3, 2026:
Farm operating, direct: 5.625 percent (4.625 in January, 5.375 in October)
Operating microloan: 5.625 percent
Farm ownership, direct: 6.250 percent (5.625 in January, 5.875 in March, 6.250 in October)
Ownership microloan: 6.250 percent
Ownership, direct joint financing: 4.250 percent (3.625 in January)
Ownership, down payment: 2.250 percent (1.625 in January)
Emergency loan, amount of actual loss: 3.750 percent
Who actually pays the rate. FSA lends directly to farmers at these federal rates, so a farmer in New Jersey sees the same number as a farmer in Nebraska. Many other farmers borrow from commercial lenders, who set their own rates. When FSA guarantees one of those loans, it caps what the lender can charge: the prior business day SOFR plus 6.75 points for variable loans or fixed loans under five years, or the five-year Treasury plus 5.5 points for fixed loans of five years or more. Lenders are not required to price at those caps. Think of it as a chain. The Federal Reserve moves first, then Treasury and bank rates, then the lender, then the farmer's yearly operating note, and last the cost of growing the crop. We found no source that measures how much of that has reached the grocery bill, and we will not guess.
Why it is moving. The Fed raised its rate a quarter point on September 16, 2026, to a range of 3.75 to 4 percent, in a 12 to 0 vote. MPR News reported on September 23 that it was the Fed's first increase in more than three years, with inflation above the 2 percent target. On October 28 the Fed held steady in a 10 to 2 vote, and two officials favored a hike, according to headline-level coverage. Market coverage says traders expect a hike in December, but we found only one source for that. The Kansas City Fed reported on October 14 that benchmark rates rose after early August, that non-real-estate bank farm loan volume is about 25 percent below a year ago, and that the outlook is tenuous. Operating notes usually run one year and are renewed every year, according to South Central College's Pam Uhlenkamp, so farmers feel rate changes fast. FSA does not explain how it sets its direct rates, so we cannot say which cause moved this month's number. We can only say it moved in the same direction.
What it costs on the farm. This is our own arithmetic, not USDA's. A $100,000 operating loan costs $5,625 a year in interest at 5.625 percent. At January's 4.625 percent it cost $4,625, so the same loan costs $1,000 more a year. For scale, USDA analyst Sarah Atkinson wrote on February 4 that the average first-year interest on an FSA direct operating loan rose from about $3,000 in 2007 to about $5,000 in 2025. USDA's September forecast, summarized by the American Farm Bureau on September 3, has total farm debt at a record $605.1 billion, up $26.4 billion or 4.6 percent, and interest expense up about $921 million or 2.8 percent. Net farm income is forecast at $158.4 billion, down 2.6 percent in nominal terms. We could not find a per-acre interest figure.
How FSA loans work. A direct operating loan goes up to $400,000 and runs one to seven years. A direct farm ownership loan goes up to $600,000 and runs up to 40 years. Ownership loans made jointly with another lender also go up to $600,000, with the other lender providing at least 50 percent. Microloans go up to $50,000, and an ownership microloan can run up to 25 years. For beginners there is the down payment loan, which covers up to 45 percent of the purchase price over 20 years, requires at least 5 percent cash down, and carries a rate four points below the direct ownership rate with a 1.5 percent floor. That is how it lands at 2.250 percent this month. Beginning farmer means you have operated a farm for ten years or less. These limits come from an October 2025 FSA chart and a February 2026 overview, and they may have changed, so confirm them with your Service Center.
What is not known yet. FSA posts a new rate every month, so December's is not out. We could not open November's commodity and storage loan rates, and we could not confirm how today's rate compares with the 2023 peak. Rates have gone both ways lately, from 4.875 percent in September 2025 down to 4.625 percent by December, which is precedent, not a prediction. We also found no one criticizing FSA's monthly rate itself, and we will not invent a critic. The caution comes from economists. Faith Parum of the American Farm Bureau said the income forecast "does not signal broad financial relief." Ty Kreitman of the Kansas City Fed calls the outlook tenuous. And Bryon Parman of North Dakota State points out that farmers who store crops carry operating-loan interest every month until they sell.
The other November date. USDA said on October 16, 2026 (release 0136.26, tied to the Great American Cotton Plan) that the Risk Management Agency will allow multiple endorsements on one crop insurance policy for the 2027 crop year. Final details go to approved insurers and agents by November 30, 2026. The catch is that no endorsement list, premiums or sales closing dates have been published, so there is nothing to price yet. The same release says the Foreign Agricultural Service takes over the cotton tariff rate quota process.
What to do
Use the Loan Assistance Tool and the Debt Consolidation Tool at farmers.gov to see which FSA loan fits.
Call your local USDA Service Center and ask about direct versus guaranteed loans, and which month's rate your loan would get.
If you carry a commercial operating note, ask your lender when it renews and how its rate is set.
Ask your crop insurance agent about the multiple endorsements before November 30.
If you are a shopper, there is nothing to do at the register today. This is a cost on the farm, and it is still working its way through.
Sources: FSA Current Loan Interest Rates, November 3, 2026; FSA November 2026 rates release, November 2, 2026; FSA October 2026 rates, October 1, 2026; FSA March 2026 rates; FSA January 2026 rates; FSA December 2025 rates, December 12, 2025; FSA September 2025 rates, September 2, 2025; RFD-TV on the Fed increase, September 2026; MPR News, September 23, 2026; Kansas City Fed, October 14, 2026; farmdoc daily, February 4, 2026; American Farm Bureau Market Intel, September 3, 2026; FSA loan chart, October 2025; FSA beginning farmer overview, February 2026; USDA release 0136.26, October 16, 2026.
Which Whole Foods ashwagandha capsules are recalled for Salmonella?
Vitality Works Inc. of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is recalling 365 Whole Foods Market Standardized + Full Spectrum Blend Ashwagandha Capsules, the 120-count white bottle, over possible Salmonella. This is a supplement, not produce, but it sits on grocery shelves. FDA's notice of October 30, 2026 says routine sampling of one retail unit raised the concern. No illnesses have been reported. The capsules sold at Whole Foods Market stores and on Amazon.com nationwide from November 24, 2025 to October 20, 2026. Look for lot 2025-26227 on the bottom of the bottle, expiration date 10/13/2028 and UPC 9948252099.
What to do. Check your cabinet. If you have this bottle, stop taking it, throw it away and do not return it. Any Whole Foods Market will refund you. Questions go to Vitality Works at (505) 268-9950, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain time.
Source: FDA recall notice, October 30, 2026.
Why are California strawberry prices rising after the rain?
Heavy rain in California the week of October 18 slowed picking, and USDA reported light supply. Strawberries are picked ripe and do not ripen later, so lost picking cuts supply at once. A flat is eight one-pound containers. At Santa Maria it was mostly $16.00 a flat on October 21, about $20 on October 23, and $20 to $22 on October 26. At $20 a flat, that is $2.50 a container at shipping point (our math). The Los Angeles terminal market, where wholesalers sell to retailers, listed Central Coast flats at $28 to $30 on November 2. USDA's October 30 retail report had advertised prices at $3.30 a pound (2,943 ads), against $3.22 a week earlier and $3.47 a year ago. The year-ago base is thin at 996 ads. Ads often trail wholesale, so watch to see if they firm up. USDA expects Mexican supply to increase seasonally.
What to do. Buy only what you will eat in a few days and choose berries that are fully red. Store them at 32 degrees F and 90 to 95 percent humidity, per UC Davis.
Sources: FreshPlaza, October 22, 2026; USDA National FOB Review, October 23, 2026; USDA Shipping Point Trends, October 27, 2026; USDA Los Angeles terminal report, November 2, 2026; USDA retail report, October 30, 2026; UC Davis Postharvest.
What fruit and vegetables are in season in early November?
California is shipping persimmons and pomegranates, and Brussels sprouts are coming from South and Central California and Mexico. USDA's October 30 retail report shows advertised prices, not store averages. Persimmons are $1.51 each (2,278 ads), down from $1.78 a week earlier and $1.69 a year ago. Pomegranates are $3.12 each (4,828 ads), against $2.96 last week and $2.95 last year. Brussels sprouts are $2.82 a pound (537 ads), against $2.64 last week and $2.66 last year. At wholesale, a 25 pound carton of Brussels sprouts was mostly $28.45 to $31.65 in the October 27 trends report. On November 2 at the Los Angeles terminal market, Fuyu persimmons were $30 to $32 for a 25 pound loose box and Wonderful pomegranates were $48 to $50 for a two-layer box of size 16s. The terminal is where wholesalers sell to retailers, so it runs above shipping point.
What to do. Buy a firm Fuyu persimmon and eat it like an apple, since Hachiya persimmons must be fully soft first. Keep persimmons away from apples, which give off ethylene. Pomegranates do not ripen after picking, so choose a good one. Persimmons grow in zones 7a to 10b (NC State) and pomegranates in zone 7 and warmer (Virginia Tech).
Sources: USDA retail report, October 30, 2026; USDA Shipping Point Trends, October 27, 2026; California Grown; UC Davis Postharvest; NC State Extension; Virginia Tech Extension.
Could you grow elderberries on your land?
Elderberries like full sun. Oregon State says a mature plant gives 12 to 15 pounds of fruit, with full production in years three to four. Missouri puts a full planting at two to four tons an acre, with a full crop around year three. Space plants about four to six feet apart in rows 10 to 13 feet apart. Oregon State and Missouri both aim for soil pH of about 5.5 to 6.5, but Penn State suggests a higher pH, 6.8 to 7.2, so do a soil test first. Four plants should give a family roughly 48 to 60 pounds at maturity, and that is our math. Penn State recommends at least two varieties for cross-pollination. Spotted wing drosophila is a serious pest, per Missouri. We did not research state restrictions, so check with your extension office before buying.
What to do. Do not plant this month. Order bare-root plants now, test your soil, and plant in late winter or spring (Missouri says late February or early March). If you own land and want fruit instead of lawn, stop mowing grass, start growing fruit.
Sources: Oregon State Extension EM 9182, March 2018, reviewed 2022; University of Missouri Extension, revised June 2022; Penn State Extension, February 24, 2025.
Garden State minute: a grant for beginning farmers to adopt conservation practices
Rutgers' Plant and Pest Advisory posted a grant opportunity on October 29, 2026 for beginning farmers. The National Young Farmers Coalition's Next Generation Farmer Fund gives $10,000 to $50,000 for new conservation practices for the 2027 season, such as cover crops, rotational grazing, nutrient plans, high tunnels, pollinator plantings and renewable energy. Applicants must be under 40 as of December 31, 2027, and the deadline is December 1, 2026. The advisory does not name the funder, and the grant is open nationally, with no New Jersey town or county listed. We could not confirm any New Jersey farm that has won it.
What to do. Join the information webinar on Thursday, November 5, at 7 p.m. Eastern. Then email nextgenfarmerfund@youngfarmers.org, and have your practice and its cost ready before December.
Source: Rutgers Plant and Pest Advisory, October 29, 2026.
Start your own orchard, vineyard or berry planting
If you own land anywhere in the country, you can turn it into a producing orchard, vineyard or berry planting. Remote consulting and design-only help are available nationwide, and full-service installs and ongoing management are local to Southern New Jersey. The process runs from a site visit with a soil test to design, installation, optional management and harvest. Berries typically produce in year two, grapes in year three and tree fruit in years three to five. We do not guarantee yields or income.
What to do. Stop mowing grass, start growing fruit. Learn about design and consulting with Curated Nature.
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