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

Ag Economy

2024 Forest Products Outlook Summary

Farm Credit East Knowledge Exchange

2023 was a challenging year for wood products markets. Rising interest rates hampered demand while capacity ramped up across the south. Paul Jannke, a forest industry expert with Forest Economic Advisors (FEA), recently presented his perspective on the region’s forest product markets and economic outlook.

April 26, 2024

Latest Tax Talk

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

Today's Harvest Blog

Rear view of new agricultural tractors for sale
Ag Economy
On the Market for Equipment? Keep in mind these major themes in the farm machinery market

Between rate increases, tightening inventories, market volatility and the rising cost of inputs, the agricultural equipment and financing landscape is entering a distinctly different environment following years of unprecedented demand and high farm profitability. As we head into year-end, here are the major themes and factors impacting machinery purchases, financing activity and overall buyer sentiment.

November 14, 2023

A row of eight to ten black beef cows standing in a grass field
Crop Insurance
What’s the beef with Livestock Risk Protection?

What’s the beef with Livestock Risk Protection? Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) has grown in popularity as the U.S. has experienced record high beef prices. LRP is a subsidized risk management program designed to insure against unexpected declines in livestock prices. 

November 07, 2023

Woman farmer using a laptop in crop field in front of a tractor. Tax Talk logo in bottom righ corner.
Tax Talks
Tax rates are on the rise, are you prepared?

In November 2022, Massachusetts voters approved an amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution to impose an additional 4% surtax on the portion of a taxpayer’s taxable income that exceeds $1 million. Shortly after, seven other states introduced their own legislation targeting high-income earners including Connecticut and New York. Here are the details to help your tax planning.

October 31, 2023

One brown cow with a white face standing in a pasture in the fall
Public Policy
Financial Assistance for Those Who Have Experienced Discrimination from the USDA Farm Service Agency

The USDA and its partner vendors have announced the opening of the application period for Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which directs USDA to provide financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs prior to January 2021. 

October 24, 2023

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