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

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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Two farmers in a crop field looking at a tablet
Tax Talks
Research & Development Tax Credits for Farms: A Case Study

Northeast farms innovate every day—and some of that experimentation may qualify for the federal Research & Development tax credit. Using a recent U.S. Tax Court case, we shed some light on how the credit works, what expenses may count, and why strong, documentation can make or break a claim.

April 22, 2026

Holsteins lined up eating feed
Crop Insurance
Beyond Dairy Revenue Protection: A Smarter Approach to Managing Dairy Risk

The dairy industry continues to face a highly volatile environment. Milk prices, feed costs, global demand shifts and weather variability all contribute to uncertainty in farm revenue. While risk is unavoidable, how producers manage that risk can have a meaningful impact on long‑term profitability and financial stability.

April 14, 2026

Farm Credit
2025 Sustainability Report: Back to Our Roots

Farm Credit East is pleased to release its fourth annual corporate sustainability report: Back to our Roots.

April 14, 2026

Close up on stack of rough sawn timber pine lumber planks
Ag Economy
2026 Forest Products Outlook: Key Takeaways for a Shifting Industry

From national economic trends to housing demand, lumber supply and global trade shifts, many economic forces are shaping the U.S. forest products industry. In a recent Farm Credit East webinar, Paul Jannke, of Forest Economic Advisors, provided an economic forecast pointing to a year of stability, modest growth and continued adjustment across the forest products sector. The following are the key insights from the webinar. 

April 07, 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