The just-announced 2019 Chesapeake Champion, honored for their commitment to sustain our wildlife and water, is actually a whole family of Champions this year.
From left: Kyle (Richard’s son), David, Richard, Bobby and Travis (Bobby’s son)The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) Horn Point Lab, a sprawling center of ecological study in Cambridge, will award the Chesapeake Champion title to the Hutchison Brothers.
The Hutchisons started as five brothers farming together, and today, brothers Bobby, Richard and David run operations, along with Bobby’s son Travis and Richard’s son Kyle. All together, they farm about 3,400 acres in Talbot and Caroline counties. They have dedicated themselves to Bay-friendly agricultural practices.
The Hutchison’s father, Earl, was a founding board member of Talbot County’s Soil Conservation District. The family was awarded the Governor’s Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2005. And brother Bobby is member emeriti of the Harry Hughes Agro-Ecology Center and a farmer advocate respected by farmers and environmentalists alike.
Horn Point Lab calls the Hutchison Brothers “innovators, conservationists, farmers leaving their land better than they found it.” They use innovation and the latest technology to farm the land responsibly.
Travis says, “Environmental stewardship has been the key to pass down the farm from generation to generation. It is critical to success when a family wants the farm to continue.”
The Chesapeake Champions will be honored at an awards event that raises funds for the cutting-edge research at Horn Point Lab. The 7th annual celebration is Thursday, May 30 from 5 to 7 pm at the Waterfowl Building in Easton. You can mingle while sipping a Chesapeake Champion cocktail, eating hors d’oeuvres, and taking in science demonstrations by Horn Point Lab graduate students.
To buy tickets or for sponsorship opportunities, contact Carin Starr at [email protected], 410-221-8408.
-Meg Walburn Viviano
