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

United States Citizenship and Immigration Service Clears H-2A Path for Dairy Employers

A new USCIS policy is opening the door for dairy producers to access the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program, a workforce option that has long been out of reach for year-round dairy operations. This month’s Knowledge Exchange Partner discusses how the updated guidance could help dairies address labor shortages, support seasonal workforce planning and navigate new petition requirements moving forward. Republished with permission courtesy of Harris Beach Murtha Attorneys at Law.

July 7, 2026

Cow milking facility and mechanized milking equipment

Latest From Today's Harvest Blog

looking up from the ground at a man with baseball cap on standing in cornfield working on a digital tablet,
Business Tips and Tools
Reminder to Stay Vigilant: Be Aware of Impersonation Calls

Farm Credit East has been alerted to a rise in fraud attempts involving criminals impersonating trusted financial institutions, including Farm Credit System institutions and CoBank, Farm Credit East’s funding bank. These scammers may spoof legitimate phone numbers, making it appear that the call is coming from a trusted organization even when it is not. 

August 3, 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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Tax Talks
Production Tax Credit – Complete Application for Registration by July 15

In a previous Tax Talks blog article, we talked about energy credits. An energy credit not discussed is the Production Tax Credit (PTC) under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 45Z. This credit incentivizes the domestic production of sustainable transportation fuels, such as those that may be generated by an on-farm biomass digester, offering a per gallon tax credit for qualified fuels produced by the taxpayer and sold to an unrelated person. 

June 25, 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

Adult male farmer sitting on open trunkbed in a crop field using a laptop
Tax Talks
Life Insurance Redemptions Falling Under IRS Scrutiny

In the context of farming business structures, acquiring a life insurance policy is a prevalent practice. Here are two common scenarios and an update on an ongoing Supreme Court case involving the IRS concerning the valuation of businesses when insurance payouts are implicated and whether such proceeds are deemed liabilities or not.

April 11, 2024

Confident female farmer standing outdoors near car on background with farm field on fall day, signing some papers
Tax Talks
What you Need to Know about Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting for your Business

Starting January 1, 2024, most United States (U.S.) entities must report information about the beneficial owners of their businesses to strengthen the integrity of the U.S. financial system by making it harder for illicit actors to use shell companies to launder their money or hide assets. This blog article explores the key elements of the BOI reporting rule and what actions your business needs to take. 

January 18, 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