Today’s Harvest Blog

Following three-months of delays, the New York State legislature has passed the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 (FY 26-27) budget. The final budget, signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hocul, includes many provisions relevant to our farm and agribusiness customers. The following are a few highlights of the recently passed legislation. 

The USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) recently announced several updates to Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP), Livestock Gross Margin (LGM) and Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) programs that will take effect beginning with the 2027 crop year on July 1, 2026. The changes are intended to improve flexibility, expand coverage opportunities and create more consistency across livestock insurance products.  

If you grow specialty crops, there’s a new USDA program worth your attention. The Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) Program was designed to help producers navigate the financial pressure many faced in 2025. Rising input costs, ongoing inflation and market disruptions all contributed to tighter margins. This program offers a one-time payment to help offset those challenges. 

If you’re a commercial fisherman planning to build, buy, lease or rebuild a vessel, the Capital Construction Fund (CCF) can be one of the most powerful tax planning tools available to you. The CCF lets you set aside income today, defer federal income tax and use that money later to invest in your fishing business. Let’s discuss the details of this program.