Hatch helped enact several laws to help farmers. One was the mandatory Farmer-Lender Mediation Act of 1986, which required a lender to offer mediation with the farmer before instituting a foreclosure proceeding. Hatch also created an "Interest Buydown Program" in 1985 to pay a portion of the farmer's interest on farm loans. To lessen the regulatory pressure from bank examiners, Hatch directed them to allow banks to value collateral at the appraisal made at the time of the loan. Minnesota also established a rural farm advocate program to assist farmers through the loan process and instituted a voluntary mortgage foreclosure moratorium.