By Debbie Rogers

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The Wood County Park District might have been in a pickle after its historic farm specialist left.

Turns out, there was a dilly of a replacement waiting.

The park district board and staff welcomed Anna Cotterman as the new specialist at Carter Historic Farm at Tuesday’s meeting, which was held at the farm.

The vivacious Cotterman served a cucumber, onion and garlic salad, as she made her introduction.

She is replacing Corrine Gordon, who went to New Jersey to lead the Capital City Farm, a 2-acre produce farm in downtown Trenton.

Gordon was known for baking an old-fashioned dessert and sharing it at park board meetings.

“I am not Corrine,” Cotterman said, with a laugh, then ordering board members to don an apron that she had put on everyone’s chair and start chopping cucumbers.

“You’re making your own treat today,” Cotterman said.

She used the introduction platform to give a mini-class on food waste.

“The U.S. wastes 119 billion pounds of food a year. To put that into perspective, that’s 130 billion meals, or enough food to feed 1.3 million people for an average lifespan,” Cotterman said.

She encouraged buying meat locally and gardening in the backyard.

Think of three Ps: Planning, prepping and preserving, she said.

“Plan your amounts,” Cotterman said.

Plan by making sure you can take care of the garden and have supplies. Preserve by canning or freezing.

“I’m not the biggest planner in the world, but I can can,” Cotterman said.

She then served the cucumber salad, which was made from cucumbers grown at Carter farm.

Park District Director Chris Smalley welcomed Cotterman.

“Based on the work of the interview committee, it was clear that Anna is a great choice to lead the operation of the farm,” he said.

The Wood County Park District Board and Director Chris Smalley (far right).

Debbie Rogers | Sentinel-Tribune

Cotterman comes from Allen County Soil and Water Conservation District. She graduated from the Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Policy and Decision Making with a minor in Sustainable Agriculture.

The Carter Historic Farm is a working farm and living-history cultural heritage center interpreted to the Depression-era. See farm equipment, sustainable old-fashioned agricultural practices, animals and trails through the woodlot and wetland.

The grounds are open daily from 8 a.m. until 30 minutes past sunset.

In related news to the farm, Program Coordinator Jim Witter reported that 647 pounds of produce has been donated to the Brown Bag Food Project.

Also at the meeting, the board:

• Approved purchasing specialized equipment for a patrol vehicle from Northwest Ohio Emergency Equipment for $8,251.

• Heard from Smalley that $30,000 in new radio equipment has arrived. The park district’s cost was $500, with the majority funded through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Grant.

• Heard that paving of the W.W. Knight Preserve parking lot will be done next week. This is being funded through Ohio Department of Transportation road funds.

• Heard that the Wood County Highway Department will be redoing the entrances at Bradner Park later this month or early September

• Heard from Smalley that the funding is continuing to pursued for the Chessie Circle Trail, through the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments. The two projects are over $2 million and “would be a nice addition to the Knight Preserve and would provide a future linkage for bike trails and all-purpose trails in Northwest Ohio.”

• Heard that 2,500 people came through the park district tent at the Wood County Fair last week.

“The fair is an important part of Wood County’s identity,” Smalley said.

There will also be a display from 1-9 p.m. each day at the Pemberville Free Fair, which starts Aug. 16.

• Heard Board President Tom Myers tout several park events that are planned: Music at the Museum is Aug. 10 and Sept. 14 at the Wood County Museum; a Fire by the River will be at Otsego Park on Friday from 7-9 p.m.; Paddle the Pond is set for Aug. 14 and 28, 4-7:30 p.m. There will be mountain bike skills camps this fall at Rudolph Bike Park. Heritage Farm Festival will be Oct. 7, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

The Fall Native Plant Sale will be held at Cedar Creeks Preserve in Northwood on Sept. 21.

• Went into an executive session for real estate. No action was taken.