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

Farm Labor Policy in Transition: Updates on SAWA, H-2A and AEWR

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.

October 5, 2026

Farm workers harvesting vegetables in a field near a red tractor with a wagon

Latest From Today's Harvest Blog

Two agronomists checking the quality of a corn crop.
Business Tips and Tools
Data, Dollars and Decisions: Turning Financial Data into Confident Farm Decisions

Farmers have more production and financial data than ever, but using it effectively is the real challenge. Learn how partial budgeting can help evaluate investments, weigh income and expenses, and make confident business decisions. The GenerationNext program helps producers build the financial management skills needed to strengthen their farms for the future.

October 6, 2026

Featured Webinar

Bunches of harvested grapes
Business Tips and Tools
Wine and Grape Outlook Webinar

Join Farm Credit East and Horizon Farm Credit as they host Andrew Adams, from WineBusiness Analytics, covering what's ahead for the wine and grape industry in 2027.

November 12, 2026

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Cow milking facility and mechanized milking equipment
Crop Insurance
Boosting Dairy Farm Resilience with Dairy Revenue Protection

Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP) is a valuable tool to help dairy farmers mitigate the risks of the dairy industry, including market fluctuations, weather conditions, and production variables. By offering robust, flexible and affordable program options, DRP helps to stabilize incomes and support the sustainability of dairy operations.

May 06, 2025

Crop Insurance
USDA Emergency Commodity Assistance Program: Applications Open

The USDA’s Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) opened applications on March 19, 2025, providing $10 billion in economic assistance to farmers. This initiative is part of a broader $31 billion package approved by Congress in December 2024, aimed at supporting farmers affected by natural disasters in 2023 and 2024. The USDA plans to release initial payments, covering 85% of the total, with supplemental payments expected in the summer. 

April 03, 2025

Ripe Tomatoes and Vegetables at Farm Stand
Crop Insurance
Protecting your Crop: The Value in the Micro Farm Policy for Diversified Farms

Whole Farm Revenue Protection is an important risk management tool for diversified farmers to insure all their crops and livestock in one insurance policy. However, for smaller-to-mid-sized specialty crop producers, the micro farm crop insurance policy is a subset of the whole farm policy that may be a better option. How does the micro farm policy differ from whole farm? Read on to learn more.


March 06, 2025

Crop Insurance
Two Powerful Safety Nets for Dairy Producers – Are You Covered?

As dairy producers know all too well, the dairy industry is prone to significant volatility and risk. Fluctuations in milk prices, feed costs and other factors can wreak havoc on profit margins. Fortunately, there are two important risk management tools available to dairy operations.

February 25, 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