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

Colorful bell peppers in shades of red, green, and orange growing on plants in a greenhouse, with ripe peppers in focus and a softly blurred background.
Crop Insurance
Fresh Market Pepper Coverage Expands in the Northeast: What It Means for Producers

The USDA Risk Management Agency has expanded fresh market pepper crop insurance coverage to additional counties in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, offering producers enhanced risk management tools aligned with production cycles and market conditions.

August 12, 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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Crop Insurance
Reminder: Pasture, Rangeland & Forage Sales Closing Deadline is December 1
The deadline to insure pasture, rangeland and forage in the Northeast for the 2026 crop year is December 1, 2025. Pasture, Rangeland and Forage (PRF) insurance protects against lack of precipitation for both haying and grazing ground. 

October 08, 2025

Ripe bunch of purple grapes on vine with green leaves
Crop Insurance
2025 Grape Harvest Update: Appraisals, SDRP & New Insurance Opportunities

As we embark on the 2025 grape harvest, those who insure their crop must be proactive in ensuring accurate production records and timely completion of appraisals. This year also brings some changes to crop insurance options, so it’s critical producers stay informed. This article provides tips and reminders on these important topics. 

October 07, 2025

Ripe blueberries growing on green leafed bush
Crop Insurance
Reminder: Crop Insurance Deadline for Perennial Fruit Crops
The deadline to insure Northeast perennial crops for the 2026 crop year is November 20, 2025. Insurable perennial crops include apples, peaches, grapes, cranberries, blueberries, pears and cherries.

October 01, 2025

Ripe juicy red apples in a container. Production facilities of large warehouse - grading, packing and storage of crops.
Crop Insurance
The Importance of Production Records when Insuring your Apple Crop

With harvest upon us, apple bins are being filled and moved into storage. While this is a busy time of year for growers, it’s important to ensure you are proactively keeping track of production. We all have different ways to capture production information — whether it be a software with bin tags, hard copy logs from each trucker or sales records. The most important thing is the record keeping is done accurately.  

September 15, 2025

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