Today’s Harvest Blog

Today’s Harvest is a valued, timely resource for stories, news, tips and information relevant to Northeast agriculture and our customers.
Farm tractor in a field during the fall harvest

Latest From Today's Harvest Blog

Crop Insurance

USDA’s New ASCF Program: What Specialty Crop Growers Should Know (and Do) Right Now

Jeremy Forrett

If you grow specialty crops, there’s a new USDA program worth your attention. The Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) Program was designed to help producers navigate the financial pressure many faced in 2025. Rising input costs, ongoing inflation and market disruptions all contributed to tighter margins. This program offers a one-time payment to help offset those challenges. 

June 2, 2026

Blooming apple orchard in agricultural field, in summer sun with anti-hail netting for protection against weather factors.

Latest Tax Talk

Tax Talks
Capital Construction Fund: A Fisherman’s Guide to Building for the Future

If you’re a commercial fisherman planning to build, buy, lease or rebuild a vessel, the Capital Construction Fund (CCF) can be one of the most powerful tax planning tools available to you. The CCF lets you set aside income today, defer federal income tax and use that money later to invest in your fishing business. Let’s discuss the details of this program.

 

May 26, 2026

Today's Harvest Blog

Woman Farmer Drinking Water in Shade During Harvest Hard Work on Potatoes Field
Business Tips and Tools
Staying Safe in Hot Weather

As the Northeast experiences more extreme weather, heat stress is a growing concern for farmers and farm workers. Because they spend significant time outdoors doing physically demanding work, this population is particularly vulnerable to heat-related health effects. 

June 26, 2025

Business Tips and Tools
Exceptionally Wet Weather Conditions Lead to Delayed Planting in New York

While corn and soybean crop planting is slightly ahead of last year nationally, it is way behind in New York and across the Northeast, due to unusually cold and wet weather, making field work difficult. 

June 24, 2025

A row of eight to ten black beef cows standing in a grass field
Crop Insurance
Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) Expanded Coverage: What Livestock and Dairy Producers Need to Know

The USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) has announced significant updates to the Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) program for the 2026 crop year, effective July 1, 2025. These changes are designed to give producers more tools to manage risk and better align coverage with market dynamics. 

June 16, 2025

Caucasian man farmer standing in field with tablet device in hands and showing something to woman on screen.
Business Tips and Tools
Proactive Strategies for Business Success: Preparing your business for the long term

If retirement is on the horizon, the sooner you can start thinking about succession planning, the better. Whether your plan is to transition your business to the next generation or a non-family successor, you should be speaking to a consultant or advisor on how to make it a smooth transition. 

 

June 11, 2025

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