By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Deer and raccoons have long been residents of the Wood County Park District. But chickens and goats?
“Welcome to the farm,” Tim Gaddie, historic farm specialist with the park district, said to the park district board members Tuesday as they held their monthly meeting at Carter Historic Farm.
The farm, located on Carter Road north of Bowling Green, is unlike any other park site in the district. The site is intended to take visitors back to the 1930s, when area farms were on the verge of big changes.
“It was a big transition from hand powered and animal powered farming to machine-based,” Gaddie said.
The historic farm programs focus on skills that families of the era relied on for survival – food preservation, vegetable and herb gardening, rug making and woodworking. Family campfire programs are also offered.
Kids work in the vegetable garden during Heritage Farm Festival.
This week, a group of kids aged 7 and 8 are attending farm camp there. Next week, 9- and 10-year-old kids will be learning at the farm.
But Gaddie would like to do more to make Carter Historic Farm a working farm. Last year, chickens were added to the farm, with many of the eggs being used for programming. Soon, he would like to add some goats, then gradually work his way up to sheep, dairy cows, a draft horse and mules.
Gaddie can picture a time when the sheep on the farm will be sheared to create yarn that will then be used for weaving.
To accomplish these goals, Gaddie is trying to grow farm volunteers.
“We’re working on building the volunteer base to do that,” he said.
The farm currently benefits from help from inmates of the Northwest Community Correction Center, and may soon be offering a place for juvenile offenders to volunteer.
“We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without volunteers,” Gaddie said.
Wood County Park District Director Neil Munger complimented the progress at the farm site.
“I can’t say enough for the work Tim has done,” Munger said.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the park board approved the last of the pay increases that will bring park district employees up to the minimum level as determined by an outside compensation consultant. The raises range from 16 cents to $1.47 per hour.
“This takes everyone up to the minimum for their positions,” Munger explained.
The board also approved the park district’s 2017 statutory budget. The budget, with estimated resources of $7.14 million, set aside $1 million for capital improvements to parks and $715,000 for land acquisition.
Board member John Calderonello noted the amount set aside for land acquisition, and questioned if there is a limit to how much land the park district resources can adequately maintain.
Munger said before property is purchased or accepted through donations, the district evaluates the maintenance costs.
“Everything has a cost,” he said.
The $715,000 is the same amount the district budgeted last year for land acquisition, and most of it was carried over to this year. But Munger said the park district wants to be prepared to purchase property when available.
“It might be a one-time opportunity to preserve these areas,” he said.
Also at the meeting, the board approved spending $3,400 to purchase a large tent to replace a structure at Buttonwood Park located on the Maumee River in Perrysburg Township.
“It was completely destroyed in the ice floes last year,” Munger said of the previous structure.
The tent would be used each year at the Pow Wow event held at Buttonwood, but it could also be moved to other events when needed.
Board member Christine Seiler questioned the park district’s practice of not charging for use of Buttonwood for the annual Pow Wow.
Munger said the Native American event “ties into our heritage,” and brings 5,000 to 8,000 people to the park for the two-day event each year. “It’s been a very positive event,” he said.
Board members Denny Parish and Seiler suggested the park district “cross market” the park district at the Pow Wow to make visitors aware of other park offerings.
In other business, the park bard talked about the possibility of offering educational speakers to the public, and the need to create its own speakers bureau of park personnel and board members to promote the planned park levy next year.
