One of the primary benefits of mediation is it can save farmers and other participants significant time and legal fees. Mediation exists as an alternative to the longer federal appeals process for USDA program disputes and the potentially lengthy public hearing process for Right to Farm disputes.

Mediation also allows the parties in a dispute to retain control over the shaping of a matter’s outcome, rather than letting a third-party, for instance the County Agriculture Development Board or SADC in Right to Farm cases, decide the issue. Mediation enables the parties to also express their different or mutual points of view, correct misinformation and misunderstandings, narrow the issues at hand, and maintain relationships.

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