It’s all about helping Michigan farmers solve their disputes. That’s why there’s a growing need for more ag mediators to serve with the Michigan Community Mediation Association.

“We’re constantly looking for new mediators everyday,” says Cory Martin, CEO of the Michigan Community Mediation Association. He says they’re looking for additional ag mediators to help provide more efficient services across all 83 of Michigan’s counties.

“Michigan is vast, and a lot of our mediators are located in our major cities,” according to Martin. “Agriculture certainly pertains statewide, but in our rural areas, that’s where we can really thrive with trained mediators that are more local and aren’t traveling a few hours across the state to help mediate a case. It would be great to be able to continue to cast a wider net and get more mediators involved in agriculture mediation.”

He says that the training to become an ag mediator has become more streamlined and more engaging.

“It was tough with COVID having to train virtually, but what we’re attempting to do is more of a hybrid model now where we can break that up the mediator training and make it an engaging training experience where we’re not just copying and pasting what we’ve had done in the past,” says Martin.

“We’re very excited about the offerings that we’re going to be able to bring forward this summer and allow mediators to feel confident and comfortable in taking on cases,” he says. “We believe it’s really going to help a ton of farmers throughout Michigan.”

Martin adds that ag mediation has become very important for Michigan’s ag industry.

“Some of these conflicts last years, and it’s the unfortunate side of conflict,” says Martin. “Mediation—especially through our organization—is free and at no cost to the parties involved, so it’s a great starting point. It really alleviates a ton of stress, especially if families are involved. We see a lot of our cases being resolved in less than 30 days, and that can be monumental for many families that are looking to alleviate the stresses that conflict disputes can certainly bring a family.”

To find out more about how you can become an ag mediator with the Michigan Community Mediation Association, visit michiganmediates.org.