Hutchison Brothers Receive Maryland Leopold Conservation Award

Hutchison Brothers of Cordova have been selected as the 2024 recipients of the Maryland Leopold Conservation Award®.

The $10,000 award honors farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on working land.

Hutchison Brothers is a 3,400-acre crop and poultry farm in Talbot County, owned and operated by Bobby, Richard, David, Travis, and Kyle Hutchison. The Hutchisons were presented with the Maryland Leopold Conservation Award at the Maryland Farm Bureau’s Annual Convention on December 8.

Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present Leopold Conservation Awards to private landowners in 28 states. In Maryland the award is presented with Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment, Maryland Association of Conservation Districts, and Maryland Farm Bureau Inc.

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes landowners who inspire others to consider conservation opportunities on their land. In his influential 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold called for “a land ethic,” an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.

Earlier this year, Maryland landowners were encouraged to apply, or be nominated, for the award. Nominations were reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders from Maryland.

ABOUT HUTCHISON BROTHERS

“In agriculture, you are always trying to do better,” says Kyle Hutchison. “We like the challenge of always trying to improve yields and profitability while having less impact on the environment.”

Hutchison Brothers is a 3,400-acre crop and poultry farm in Talbot County. Thanks to the stewardship of brothers Bobby, Richard, and David Hutchison, and sons Travis and Kyle Hutchison, this 130-year-old family farm has evolved into a sophisticated business at the forefront of agricultural conservation.

The Hutchisons are committed to leaving the land better than they found it by enhancing soil health and crop production through science and technology. They willingly collaborate with others to understand and promote cover crops and other conservation practices that protect the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

Since 1982 they have hired crop consultants to ensure they use nutrients and chemicals as efficiently as possible to grow a diverse rotation of corn, wheat, soybeans, barley, and vegetables such as cucumbers. Their involvement with the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s cover crop program informed how the timing of planting and different seed mixes affect nitrogen levels.

They also participate in studies of biostimulants, which are a range of substances and microorganisms that when applied to plants can improve their growth and boost their ability to tolerate stress from drought, salinity, and heat. This study has the potential to reduce the amount of inorganic fertilizer needed to grow corn. It’s one of many examples of how the Hutchisons volunteer to work with researchers on cutting edge conservation practices that have not been trialed to scale but have the potential to make large positive conservation impacts across the country.

Hutchison Brothers has installed bioreactors and drainage water management projects in two of their fields. They also partnered with ShoreRivers on a USDA Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) to research on options to remove tile risers from fields to reduce sediment transport to local waterways while maintaining drainage needed for crop production.

The Hutchisons’ use of variable-rate nitrogen applications onto crops are split up through the growing season to boost yields while reducing the potential for runoff. To further protect water quality, they practice mulch and strip-till practices, have installed grassed waterways and buffers, and have completed wetland restoration projects and forest management.

Manure produced in the poultry barns is properly stored and transported. Setbacks are maintained for fertilizer and manure applications. Likewise, fertilizer is not applied during the winter.

Having adopted so many conservation practices, the Hutchisons share their experiences with other farmers, conservation professionals, and decision makers by hosting farm tours and having candid conversations about the on-farm benefits and costs of conservation.

While some farmers are apprehensive to work with environmental groups, Hutchison Brothers welcome such opportunities to showcase their conservation ethic and explain the positive effects of certain farming techniques on their business model and the broader community.

They participate on influential state and national boards and committees, including Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Soil Health Leadership Advisory Committee.

Bobby, Richard, and David Hutchison credit their father with instilling a conservation ethic in them that has had a profound impact across Maryland.

“We love our land and animals,” Bobby said. “If you love something, you improve it.”

ACCOLADES

“Where would we be in Maryland without the Hutchison Family? Their passionate belief that farming can be a productive venture while contributing to the health of the region and working in concert with conservation efforts. Their openness to new ideas is one of the long-standing characteristics of the Hutchison Family, and this makes them ideal recipients of this award,” said Samantha Campbell, President of The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment.

“MASCD congratulates the Hutchison family on being recognized with the Leopold Conservation Award. They’ve long been recognized in Maryland as early adopters of innovative conservation and precision agriculture practices, and leaders in working with the environmental community. It’s a special privilege to serve on our local soil conservation district board with this year’s recipient,” said John Swaine, Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts President.

“Congratulations to the Hutchisons on achieving the 2024 Maryland Leopold Conservation Award. Lifelong Maryland Farm Bureau members, the family has been on the cutting edge of sustainable agricultural practices and national leaders in their respective fields,” said Jamie Raley, Maryland Farm Bureau President.

“These award recipients are examples of how Aldo Leopold’s land ethic is alive and well today,” said Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation President and CEO. “Their dedication to conservation is both an inspiration to their peers as well as a reminder to all how important thoughtful agriculture is to clean water, healthy soil, and wildlife habitat.”

“As the national sponsor for Sand County Foundation’s Leopold Conservation Award, American Farmland Trust celebrates the hard work and dedication of the award recipients,” said John Piotti, AFT President and CEO. “At AFT we believe that exemplary conservation involves the land itself, the practices employed on the land, and the people who steward it. This award recognizes the integral role of all three.”

Among the outstanding Maryland landowners nominated for the award were finalists: Daniel A. Donohue of Accokeek in Charles and Prince George counties, Mount Pleasant Acres Farms of Preston in Caroline County, and Twin Maples Farms of Ridgely in Caroline County.

The Maryland Leopold Conservation Award is made possible through the generous support of American Farmland Trust, Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment, Maryland Association of Conservation Districts, Maryland Farm Bureau Inc., Sand County Foundation, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Horizon Farm Credit, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Chesapeake Conservancy, Delmarva Chicken Association, ShoreRivers, and The Nature Conservancy.

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SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION inspires and empowers private landowners to ethically manage natural resources so future generations have clean and abundant water, healthy soil to support agriculture and forestry, plentiful habitat for wildlife and opportunities for outdoor recreation. www.sandcountyfoundation.org