On October 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a new Interim Final Rule (IFR) that significantly revises how Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWRs) are calculated for H-2A guestworkers. AEWRs set the minimum hourly wages that must be paid to H-2A workers and those in corresponding employment. This rule introduces major changes affecting wage structures across Farm Credit East’s eight-state region, with important implications for farm operations and labor management.
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.
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Latest Tax Talk
Tax Talks
Maximizing Your Farm’s Bottom Line: Income and Expense Reporting
Filing farm taxes doesn’t have to be confusing. The IRS requires you to report all income unless specifically excluded, and only deduct expenses that are both ordinary—common in farming—and necessary—helpful for your business. Understanding these basics can save you time and stress.
October 27, 2025
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Public Policy
The Federal Government is Shut Down. Here’s What you Should Know
As of 12:01 AM October 1, 2025, the Federal Government has shut down until congress can agree on a funding bill. It’s anyone's guess as to how long the shutdown will last, so in the meantime, here’s what agricultural producers should know.
October 02, 2025
Tax Talks
Federal Government to Phase Out Paper Checks: What It Means for You
Early in 2025, the federal government announced an Executive Order aimed at modernizing how federal payments are handled. Under Executive Order 14247, signed in March 2025, all federal disbursements and receipts will transition to electronic formats by September 30, 2025. This change will impact individuals, businesses and organizations that receive or make payments to the federal government.
September 30, 2025
Business Tips and Tools
Top Three Reasons to Take GenerationNext: An Instructor’s Perspective
GenerationNext is a seminar series designed to help emerging agricultural professionals — particularly those in farming, fishing or forest product businesses — develop essential management and business skills. I’ve taught several sessions over the course of my Farm Credit East career, and here’s the value I believe participants gain from GenerationNext.
September 23, 2025
Crop Insurance
The Importance of Production Records when Insuring your Apple Crop
With harvest upon us, apple bins are being filled and moved into storage. While this is a busy time of year for growers, it’s important to ensure you are proactively keeping track of production. We all have different ways to capture production information — whether it be a software with bin tags, hard copy logs from each trucker or sales records. The most important thing is the record keeping is done accurately.
September 15, 2025
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