“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.”