Hutchison Brothers of Cordova, Md., were named the 2024 recipients of the Maryland Leopold Conservation Award for their farm’s extensive history and their commitment to soil and water conservation.
The Talbot County farm family received the award, which comes with $10,000, during the Maryland Farm Bureau annual convention Dec. 9. Hutchison Brothers is a 3,400-acre crop and poultry farm in Talbot County operated 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.
Bobby, Richard, and David Hutchison credit their father Earl 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.”
The Hutchisons 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 rotation of corn, wheat, soybeans, barley, and vegetables such as cucumbers.
They also participate in studies of biostimulants to see how they improve plant 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 three bioreactors and drainage water management projects in two of their fields and are considering a fourth. They also partnered with ShoreRivers on a USDA Conservation Innovation Grant 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 variable-rate nitrogen applications 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.
"In agriculture, you are always trying to do better,” said Kyle, Richard’s son. “We like the challenge of always trying to improve yields and profitability while having less impact on the environment.”
The Hutchisons regularly 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.
At the convention, Travis said the family intends to keep the conservation tradition going as long as they’re farming.
“We’re not done,” he said. “We’re still looking for new projects and doing what we can to improve the land.”
“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.”
The Maryland Leopold Conservation Award is made possible through the 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.
