This month's Knowledge Exchange Partner article explores how proposed H-2A reforms and recent wage-rate changes could affect Northeast agricultural employers, including workforce access, labor costs, program flexibility and compliance—and what these evolving policies may mean for the future of farm labor.
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.
Knowledge Exchange Partner
Latest From Today's Harvest Blog
Crop Insurance
Harvest Is Here. Could Variety-Specific Coverage Better Protect Your Apple Crop?
Apple harvest is underway across New York, and growers are assessing yields, fruit quality, storage and marketing opportunities. It is also time to plan for next season. Beginning with the 2027 crop year, New York apple producers will gain a significant new risk management option: variety-specific crop insurance coverage. This improved option may allow growers to better align coverage with the varieties planted in their orchards.
October 26, 2026
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Apple Industry Outlook Webinar
Join Farm Credit East and Horizon Farm Credit as they host Chris Gerlach of USApple for a discussion on the prevailing trends and forces shaping the U.S. apple industry.
April 15, 2027
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Crop Insurance
New Variety-Specific Apple Crop Insurance Coverage Available for New York Growers in 2027
Farm Credit East applauds the Risk Management Agency’s (RMA) expansion of the Apple Crop Insurance Program to allow many apple varieties to be insured individually rather than grouped within broader fresh apple categories.
August 27, 2026
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
Crop Insurance
The Return of Prevented Planting Plus 5%: What Producers Need to Know
The USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) has reinstated the Prevented Planting Plus 5% option for the 2027 crop year. Producers will once again have the opportunity to purchase an additional 5% of prevented planting coverage, providing greater protection when adverse weather prevents intended acres from being planted.
August 17, 2026
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
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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