The Minnesota Land Stewardship Project is pleased the State House and Senate passed legislation this week placing a 60 day extension on farm financial mediation periods. LSP Policy Program Organizer Paul Sobacinski says while it’s good State Legislators are giving those undergoing mediation more time to settle their accounts, they want to see an additional 60 days added to that in the future.

He says Minnesota’s Farm Mediation has worked well in the past and having this extension to deal with the COVID 19 pandemic will be more helpful.

Sobacinski says with the coronavirus pandemic going on, it’s not possible for those undergoing mediation to get face to face help, so the extension is badly needed to give the parties time to work out the problem.

More than 3,800 Minnesota farmers were eligible to participate in the farm mediation program last year.