STEVENSVILLE, MD – Chesapeake Charities announced the honorees to be recognized during their
November 16 luncheon, “A Celebration of Charity” at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club. This year’s
event will highlight Maryland’s Farming Community–women and men in Maryland’s farming
community who embody what it means to put service above self. Kevin Atticks, Maryland Secretary
of Agriculture, is the Master of Ceremonies.

Jim Perdue to be honored as Philanthropist
of the Year at the 2023 Celebration of Charity.

Jim Perdue of Perdue Farms has been selected as Philanthropist of the Year. Under Jim’s leadership,
Perdue Farms has grown from an East-coast provider of fresh chicken to a national label of premium
protein products. Mindful of the need to blend family and business values, Jim expanded the Purdue
Foundation’s giving to support farmers and their families and provide educational opportunities to
prepare the next generation of farmers and ranchers.
Wild Kid Acres–owned by minority, veteran and first-time farmer, Gerardo Martinez—purchased a
five-acre Anne Arundel County farm in 2019. Today, Wild Kid Acres serves as a hub for agricultural
education, access, and inclusion, inspiring the next generation of farmers.

The Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board (MGPUB) has been chosen as Volunteers of the
Year. Farmers from across Maryland serve on the all-volunteer Grain Producers Utilization Board.
Their expert management of the .05% contribution of grain via the check-off program yields
improvements in farming and has exposed 11 million Maryland Public Television viewers and more
than 20,000 students per year to agriculture.
Amy Cawley, selected as Agricultural Advocate of the Year, started Maryland Food Bank’s Farm to
Food Bank Program and has grown it from two to 60 partnering farms since Amy launched the effort in 2011