Ag Industry Trends & Outlooks

Discover insights, trends, ag market outlooks and other topical information as it relates to the Northeast's diverse agricultural industries. Brought to you by Knowledge Exchange from Farm Credit East.
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Knowledge Exchange Partner

Knowledge Exchange Partner

Understanding the Agricultural Impacts of Wildfire Smoke

Wildfire smoke darkened skies across the Northeast for at least three consecutive days this July. Orange clouds were evidence of fires raging thousands of miles away in Ontario, Canada and northern Minnesota. While the duration and impact of wildfires have historically been concentrated in the Western United States, the issue is becoming a more frequent concern on the east coast. What impact does sustained wildfire smoke have on agriculture in our region?

August 7, 2026

burning dry grass in spring, air pollution due to burning dry grass

Latest From Today's Harvest Blog

Farm workers harvesting vegetables in a field near a red tractor with a wagon
Public Policy
House Ag Committee Chair Introduces Labor Legislation

Finding and retaining workers remains one of the biggest challenges facing agriculture today. The H-2A program was created to provide a legal guestworker program to help agricultural employers address labor shortages. While participation has increased in recent decades, the program has struggled to keep pace with the needs of today’s operations. New federal legislation aims to modernize the H-2A program to better meet employers’ needs. 

 

August 25, 2026

Featured Webinar

A display of red ripe Macoun apples - a sweet crisp eating apple from the Hudson Valley of New York State.
Business Tips and Tools
2026 Apple Industry Outlook Webinar
Farm Credit East and Horizon Farm Credit recently hosted Chris Gerlach of USApple for a discussion on the prevailing trends and forces shaping the U.S. apple industry.

April 16, 2026

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Knowledge Exchange Partner
Boosting Dairy Farm Resilience: How the DRP Program Helps Manage Revenue Risks

The dairy industry is inherently unpredictable, with market fluctuations, weather conditions, and production variables all contributing to an unstable income landscape for dairy farmers. Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP) is a valuable tool to mitigate these risks and provide a more stable financial footing.

June 04, 2024

Two farmers in a crop field looking at a tablet
Tax Talks
Handling State Tax Refunds from Business Tax Credits

With many taxpayers having filed their 2023 taxes, refunds are appearing in their bank accounts. There may be a question of what to do with these funds. Particularly for those in states that had an expansion of refundable credits generated from farm businesses.

May 29, 2024

Woman standing in agriculture crop field holding and working on an open laptop
Business Tips and Tools
7 Strategies for Smart Liquidity Management

Simply defined, liquidity is having cash or assets on hand to pay bills and expenses. Liquidity is particularly important in agriculture given the unique risks – from fluctuating commodity prices and weather volatility to regulatory constraints — along with the financial characteristics of agricultural businesses, including seasonality, family living needs and capital investment considerations. 

May 21, 2024

Farm Credit
Farm Credit East Offices Closed May 27

Farm Credit East offices will be closed on Monday, May 27, in observance of Memorial Day. The Federal Reserve System will also be closed, so ACH/Direct Deposit transactions will not be effective Monday, May 27. 

May 20, 2024

Northeast Economic Engine

Download Farm Credit East’s Northeast Economic Engine report, which analyzes the economic impact of the Northeast agriculture, forest products, commercial fishing and food manufacturing industries. This report was released in October 2024. 

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Cover of the 2024 Economic Impact report