For many years, an oral agreement or a handshake lease has long been considered as good as gold between farmers and rural landowners. But when cash rent terms sour, farmstead housing conditions deteriorate, or maintenance expectations clash, even the most deeply rooted agricultural landlord-tenant relationships can fracture.
When those disputes spill over into local courtrooms, the price tag goes far beyond legal fees—it can cost producers their livelihoods, access to crucial land, and multi-generational neighborly trust.
That is where Brandie Sigler and the Michigan Agricultural Mediation Program come in. As Executive Director of Conflict Resolution Services in Traverse City, Sigler oversees a no-cost, confidential mediation framework designed specifically to keep farm disputes out of court and keep farm operations running smoothly. Sigler and her team are part of the Michigan Community Mediation Association.
The Real Cost of Courtroom Battles
For row-crop operators and livestock producers alike, time is currency. Waiting on a court date while a land dispute hangs in limbo can stall crucial seasonal field work or put necessary property repairs on hold.
“Going to court is an expensive process both financially and in time,” Sigler points out. “It’s a drawn-out process. Even if you file your paperwork today, you may not be scheduled for a hearing for months. If you’re scheduled months out for a court hearing, what are you supposed to do in the meantime? The dispute doesn’t go away, and a lot of disputes can’t be back-burnered while you wait for a court date.”
Beyond the mounting filing costs and process serving fees, court-ordered decisions often leave little room for nuanced agricultural realities.
“In the court, everything is adversarial—it’s you versus another person or you versus an organization,” Sigler explains. “In mediation, it’s all about common ground and where you can find agreement… Listening to each other and understanding the ‘why’—and not just the point they’re trying to make—can go a long way to understanding and can help find creative solutions that probably aren’t even going to be explored in the courts.”
Tackling Housing and Farmstead Complexities
Landlord-tenant disagreements in agriculture often go beyond tillable acreage. On many operations, farmstead housing, seasonal labor quarters, or farm-held residential property add an extra layer of complexity—especially when employment and tenancy are intertwined.
Sigler recalls a recent case involving agricultural employment where farm housing was part of the contract. When the employment ended, the former employee found themselves without a place to live during a tight winter housing market. Meanwhile, the farm owner faced severe utility expenses to keep off-season housing facilities open through freezing weather.
“Just by everybody getting their information out on the table and sharing everything, they could see each other’s points of view and were able to come to an agreement,” Sigler says.
Because the program receives funding through a USDA agricultural grant, any dispute tied to the agricultural industry—whether directly over field leases, equipment storage, or farmstead housing—can be mediated completely free of charge.
“That means no process serving fees, no court fees,” Sigler notes. “Whether you file in court or not, you can come to us and we can see if we can resolve this dispute outside of the courtroom.”
Retaining Control of Your Farm Operations
In a culture where independent producers are accustomed to making their own decisions and solving their own problems, inviting a third party into a dispute can feel uncomfortable. However, Sigler stresses that mediation is the exact opposite of handing over control.
“Mediation leaves the power in the parties,” Sigler emphasizes. “If you go to court, you are essentially giving up your decision-making power over to a third party. In mediation, the two parties have all the decision-making power. You retain all of your decision-making power.”
Mediators do not rule on cases, pass judgment, or dictate solutions; their sole role is to facilitate transparent conversation so both sides can craft an agreement that works for their respective operations.
“Our long-term timeline for us is six to eight weeks, but we try to keep some openings in our schedule so you can schedule much more quickly if you need to,” Sigler adds. “We’ll do our best to squeeze you in this week.”
Farmers or landowners facing an active or brewing dispute can connect with their local mediation center by visiting MichiganMediation.org.
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