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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Understanding the Agricultural Impacts of Wildfire Smoke

Wildfire smoke darkened skies across the Northeast for at least three consecutive days this July. Orange clouds were evidence of fires raging thousands of miles away in Ontario, Canada and northern Minnesota. While the duration and impact of wildfires have historically been concentrated in the Western United States, the issue is becoming a more frequent concern on the east coast. What impact does sustained wildfire smoke have on agriculture in our region?

August 7, 2026

burning dry grass in spring, air pollution due to burning dry grass

Latest From Today's Harvest Blog

Colorful bell peppers in shades of red, green, and orange growing on plants in a greenhouse, with ripe peppers in focus and a softly blurred background.
Crop Insurance
Fresh Market Pepper Coverage Expands in the Northeast: What It Means for Producers

The USDA Risk Management Agency has expanded fresh market pepper crop insurance coverage to additional counties in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, offering producers enhanced risk management tools aligned with production cycles and market conditions.

August 12, 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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Family, farm and cattle with a girl and father walking on a field or grass meadow in the agricultural industry. Tax Talk logo on picture.
Tax Talks
Trump Accounts: A New Savings Option for Children

Trump Accounts officially kicked off July 4, 2026, offering a new way to save for a child’s future. A Trump Account is a traditional IRA with specific rules that enable families to start saving and investing for a child early with greater flexibility than a standard retirement account. Any child under age 18 with a Social Security number is eligible for a Trump Account. 

July 28, 2026

close up view of black and white dairy cows in a row eatingg
Ag Economy
A Review of Dairy Price Support Programs in Massachusetts, Maine and Connecticut

In response to the variety of significant economic challenges facing dairy producers in the northeast, Massachusetts, Maine and Connecticut each administers a unique, local dairy price support program. In this report, Farm Credit East provides an overview of each program and summarizes their key differences and similarities. While all programs respond to similar objectives and have been proven to slow the rate of dairy farm exits in their respective states, the programs differ substantially in funding and design. This report seeks to build a greater understanding of how each program works to support the region’s dairy communities and rural economies.

July 27, 2026

2026 Farm Credit East Interns on a sod farm
Farm Credit
A Summer of Learning and Growth: The Farm Credit East Internship Experience

Over the past 10 weeks, 16 interns across seven Farm Credit East offices gained hands-on experience through projects, farm tours, employee shadowing and professional development opportunities.

July 21, 2026

Business owner with financial paperwork doing calculations
Farm Credit
Important Update on New York Farm Employer Overtime Tax Credit Refunds

After filing their 2025 tax returns, Farm Credit East learned that many farm taxpayers received an adjustment notice from New York State reducing the amount of their requested refund. The adjustments stemmed from a disallowance of the Farm Employer Overtime Tax Credit claimed on form CT- or IT-661.  

July 17, 2026

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