Matt Strassberg of the Vermont Agricultural Mediation Program made a presentation at the Dairy Status Meeting on January 16th.
The Vermont Agricultural Mediation Program (VTAMP) is the USDA Certified State Agricultural Mediation Program for Vermont, and as such it is funded by the USDA. VTAMP is administered by the Environmental Mediation Center in Moretown.
VTAMP started in the summer of 2007 and worked on 33 disputes in its first fiscal year. None of those involved Yankee Farm Credit, but credit issues are a common reason for mediation. Other issues include government permitting and enforcement actions, including environmental issues; disputes with neighbors or suppliers; family farm transfers; and other areas of conflict. Mediation is offered free to the agricultural community.
For more information, see the VTAMP web site.
UPDATE 2/13/09: New York also has a USDA Certified State Agricultural Mediation Program. See the NYSAMP web site.
UPDATE 2/14/09: This article has good background information about the USDA Certified State Agricultural Mediation Program.
UPDATE 2/05/15: New Hampshire also has a USDA Certified State Agricultural Mediation Program. It is also administered by the Environmental Mediation Center in Moretown, VT. I believe this has been in place since 2010. For more information, see the NHAMP web site.
