Minnesota lawmakers are moving to strengthen the state’s farmer lender mediation program. “It’s a hard time to be a farmer right now and we’re looking at probably close twice as many opportunities for people to have to negotiate with their banks and so now is not the time to stop helping people in that process,” said Senate Agriculture Committee Aric Putnam. “It’s such an important program and 90 percent of those negotiations end up with the farmers still being able to farm.” With farm margins tightening and more producers facing difficult conversations with lenders, Putnam says now is the time to reinforce the mediation program rather than scale it back.
