Vermont Agricultural Mediation Program

The Vermont Agricultural Mediation Program (VTAMP) is the official United States Department of Agriculture certified agricultural mediation program for Vermont. VTAMP provides free mediation services to the agricultural community to help resolve disputes before they end up in court. For background information about mediation, click here.

Case Studies

• Wetland Determination
• Restructuring Farm Loan
• Farm Loan Guarantee
• Farmer Neighbor Dispute
• Contract Dispute
• Family Farm succession

Steps in requesting mediation through VTAMP

1. Agricultural producers, agencies, organizations, companies and citizens with a dispute concerning agricultural production should either call or e-mail VTAMP to request mediation. Click here for contact information.
2. VTAMP staff will confirm that the other party (or parties) is willing to participate in the mediation.
3. VTAMP staff will conduct brief confidential interviews to learn background information about the dispute.
4. VTAMP will assign a mediator from the Agricultural Mediation Roster or VTAMP staff based on subject matter expertise, geography, and availability.
5. The mediator will contact the parties to arrange a date, time and location for the mediation session.

Who Will Mediate the Dispute?

Mediators provided by VTAMP include program staff as well as private mediators throughout the state who are contracted on a case-by-case basis. All mediators have completed mediation training and additional training on agricultural and rural disputes.

What Happens if an Agreement Is Not Reached

If a final agreement is not reached through mediation, the circumstances will simply be the same as before the mediation. All parties will retain their full set of options to seek a solution through the courts or other means. However, as a result of the mediation, it is likely that all participants will have a better understanding of the other parties’ perspectives, will have a fuller grasp of the situation, and why a solution was not achievable.