Today’s Harvest Blog

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Farm Credit East’s security team is working to educate customers and staff about security  best practices to use in their work and personal lives. There are a few things you can implement today to keep you and your information safe.

The Risk Management Agency’s (RMA) Apple Crop Insurance Policy has become a mainstay of risk management in the United States apple industry. The working relationship between apple producers and RMA has resulted in a program that met most of the industry’s needs. 

In 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs act was passed, putting a $10,000 limit on the amount of state and local tax that can be deducted on an individual's tax returns. For high income taxpayers that also pay a significant amount of property taxes, they quickly get to this $10,000 cap. For taxpayers who own pass thru entities such as partnerships and S-Corps, there is a potential way around this cap. This work around is called the Pass-Through Entity Tax.

Many farmers think of crop insurance as only relevant for large row-crop growers. But if you’re a diversified farm, there are new options that are worth another look, particularly in light of recurring natural disasters that have been hitting the region.