September 28 has repeatedly intersected with U.S. agriculture at moments of weather-driven upheaval, public‑health vigilance, and the steady cadence of harvest season. From hurricanes that reshaped crop outlooks to the launch of a global animal‑health observance with direct on‑farm implications, this date traces a throughline of resilience and adaptation across America’s farm country.

2022: Hurricane Ian slams Florida agriculture

On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa, Florida, as a high‑end Category 4 storm, unleashing destructive winds, storm surge, and flooding across some of the nation’s most productive specialty‑crop regions. The timing—on the cusp of fall planting and harvest cycles—magnified the blow.

Citrus growers already battling HLB (citrus greening) saw widespread fruit drop and canopy damage; vegetable operations lost transplants, shade structures, and plasticulture; ornamental nurseries suffered shattered greenhouses and toppled shadehouses; and sugarcane in the Glades lodged under prolonged winds and standing water. Dairy and livestock producers contended with power outages, downed fencing, and disrupted water supply.

In the months that followed, agricultural economists tallied losses well over a billion dollars statewide, with impacts stretching into the 2022–23 season as groves and infrastructure were rebuilt. Producers turned to a mix of crop insurance indemnities, federal disaster tools (including USDA’s Emergency Relief Program, Emergency Conservation Program, Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, and Tree Assistance Program), and state-administered aid to stabilize cash flow and replant.

1998: Hurricane Georges drenches Gulf Coast fields

On September 28, 1998, Hurricane Georges made U.S. landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi, after battering the Caribbean and the Florida Keys days earlier. The storm’s slow forward speed over the central Gulf Coast translated into torrential rainfall and flooding across coastal Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana, with ripple effects into inland counties.

Producers reported cotton boll rot and lint staining from persistent moisture, peanut pod deterioration in saturated soils, downed sugarcane, pecan nut drop, and damaged poultry houses and barns. Harvest delays compressed labor and ginning schedules, raising quality discounts. Governors requested—and USDA issued—disaster designations across multiple counties, unlocking emergency credit and cost‑share programs that helped rehabilitate fields, fix erosion, and repair farm infrastructure.

1781: The Siege of Yorktown begins, reshaping an agrarian nation

On September 28, 1781, American and French forces began the Siege of Yorktown in Virginia, a campaign that culminated in British surrender and accelerated the close of the Revolutionary War. For the agrarian colonies—where farms underpinned food supply, trade, and taxation—the end of major hostilities opened the door to renewed planting, interstate commerce, and westward settlement.

In the decade that followed, federal land policies (notably the Land Ordinance of 1785 and Northwest Ordinance of 1787) framed how farms would be surveyed, transferred, and taxed, setting patterns for agricultural expansion, rural townships, and the broader “yeoman” ideal that long shaped American farm policy and culture.

Since 2007: World Rabies Day underscores on‑farm biosecurity

September 28 is observed annually as World Rabies Day, marking the 1895 passing of Louis Pasteur, whose work was foundational to rabies vaccination. In the U.S., the date has become a touchstone for coordinated wildlife rabies control that directly benefits agriculture.

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in partnership with states, tribes, and local health agencies, conducts seasonal oral rabies vaccination (ORV) campaigns—often in late summer and fall—by distributing vaccine baits across strategic corridors. These efforts have helped eliminate certain wildlife rabies variants in parts of the country and reduce spillover risk to livestock. For producers, vigilance remains practical: maintaining vaccination of farm dogs, working with veterinarians on equine protocols, and promptly reporting suspect wildlife interactions can prevent costly quarantines, testing, and animal losses.

Late‑September rhythms on the farm

Beyond headline events, September 28 typically finds U.S. agriculture in a pivotal transition:

  • Row crops: Corn silage wraps up in the Upper Midwest as grain harvest accelerates across the Corn Belt; soybean harvest gains momentum where fields dry.
  • Cotton and rice: Defoliation and early picking expand across the South; Mid‑South rice combines push toward the finish.
  • Specialty crops: Apple, pear, and grape harvests are in full swing; Western potato dig moves fast ahead of frost; sugarbeet harvest intensifies in the Red River Valley.
  • Winter crops and cover: Wheat seeding spreads on the Plains; cover crop drilling follows silage and early soybean harvests.
  • Livestock: Fall calf runs and replacement heifer sales pick up; pasture quality tapers with shorter days, prompting supplemental feeding plans.

The date also lines up with produce‑safety and post‑harvest risk management. When late‑September turns wet, mycotoxin monitoring in corn, boll rot vigilance in cotton, and careful grain drying and aeration become central to preserving quality. On fruit and vegetable farms, Food Safety Modernization Act practices—clean harvest bins, water quality checks, and worker hygiene refreshers—are front and center during peak picking.

Why it matters

Taken together, the stories that cluster around September 28 trace a familiar arc in U.S. agriculture: weather shocks that test systems, public‑health work that protects herds and communities, and the perennial, practical cadence of harvest and planting that endures through it all. Each year, the date is a reminder of what farmers and ranchers manage simultaneously—today’s workload, tomorrow’s risks, and the long recovery or improvement plans that follow.