The Horn Point Laboratory (HPL) invites you to join their 7th annual Chesapeake Champion celebration. The Hutchison Brothers are this year’s Chesapeake Champion.The event takes place Thursday, May 30 from 5 to 7 pm at the Waterfowl Building, 40 S. Harrison St., Easton. Proceeds benefit the research of HPL graduate students and faculty.
Imbibe! Savor delicious hors d’oeuvres, sip a Chesapeake Champion cocktail with old friends and new acquaintances while you explore inspired demonstrations by HPL graduate students and celebrate the Hutchison Brothers.
“The Horn Point Laboratory is delighted to honor the Hutchison Brothers for their innovative agricultural practices benefiting water quality and soil health. They have been leaders in sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship while maintaining a successful business,” said Mike Roman, Horn Point Laboratory Director.
The Hutchison Brothers are true Champions of the Chesapeake. They are farming advocates respected by farmers and environmentalists alike. For four generations and 250 man years the Hutchison family has farmed their land. Today, the family’s farming operations are run by 3 of 5 brothers who farmed together, Bobby, Richard, and David, along with Bobby’s son, Travis, and Richard’s son, Kyle. Their father, Earl, was a founding board member of Talbot County’s Soil Conservation District. The family was inducted into the Governor’s Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2005. Bobby is member emeriti of the Harry Hughes Agro-Ecology Center.
Hutchison Brothers family members working the farm today. Left to right; Kyle (Richard’s son), David, Richard, Bobby, and Travis (Bobby’s son).
Travis says, “Environmental stewardship has been the key to pass on the farm from generation to generation. It is critical to success when a family wants the farm to continue.” The Hutchison’s apply innovative conservation practices and the latest technology to their farming business. Their outlook is, “to be a farmer you have to be an optimist – always plan for a good year, if you plan for a disaster you will get one.”Today the family farms about 3,400 acres in Talbot and Caroline counties. They continue to explore new technologies and sustainable practices to leave the land better than they found it.
Past Chesapeake Champions include; Amy Haines the first recipient in 2013, followed by John E. (Chip) Akridge in 2014, C. Albert Pritchett in 2015, Alice and Jordan Lloyd in 2016, Jim Brighton in 2017, and Jerry Harris in 2018.
The Horn Point Laboratory (HPL) is an environmental research facility of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES). The Lab is located on 880 acres on the banks of the Choptank River, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UMCES is the only institution within the University System of Maryland focused entirely on advanced environmental research and graduate studies. Its research primarily focuses on the Chesapeake Bay and restoring coastal health.
Mark your calendar and join us Thursday, May 30th to honor the Hutchison Brothers, 2019 Chesapeake Champion, and celebrate their leadership for sustainable agriculture and it benefits for a healthier Bay.
Tickets are $50/ person. Sponsorship opportunities are available.
For more information, visit www.umces.edu/events/chesapeake-champion-2019 or contact Carin Starr at [email protected], 410-221-8408.
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science leads the way toward better management of Maryland’s natural resources and the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. From a network of laboratories located across the state, UMCES scientists provide sound advice to help state and national leaders manage the environment, and prepare future scientists to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. www.umces.edu
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