I drive down a beautiful Southern lane shaded by live oaks and arrive at a small 5 acre family farm. There are chickens, laying hens, in a pen in the front field, and bunnies in a bunny hutch next to the driveway. The setting is pure Americana. In the woods behind the house are a paddock of goats and another pen of “eating” chickens. I am here to learn the story of this family and how The Sharpener’s Edge came to be.
Colleen grew up in Westchester County, New York, and trained as an CPA. Jim, an aircraft mechanic, is from Long Island. Jim’s aunt set them up on a blind date in Rye, New York; they had dinner and then went to Playland, a local amusement park. It was pretty much love at first sight for both of them, Colleen tells me. The two met in 1998 and married early in 2000; their first daughter, Skylar, was born in December of the same year. Jim transferred to a job in Augusta in 2001. After a 9-month stay in Martinez, they fell in love with Aiken and purchased this home in Aiken County just southeast of Montmorenci.
Colleen decided to homeschool her children. The eldest, Skylar, is a sophomore at USC Columbia, where she is majoring in History and minoring in Criminal Justice and Sociology. She loves literature, and writing. Skylar self-published 4 books of science fiction fantasy before the age of 18. She was buried in one of Jane Austin’s novels when I arrived. Jimmy is a high school senior with plans to attend Aiken Tech next fall. Jimmy has handled all aspects of his own landscaping and odd job business for several years. His passion is playing the guitar — when he works the early shift at Publix, he gets up at 5 am to practice before he leaves. Sara is the youngest, a high school sophomore who plays alto sax in the AAA Home School band. Her father says she is an animal whisperer — she loves horses, goats, chickens, dogs, and her (afore-mentioned) two bunnies.
Colleen allows no chemicals on their property; from lawn maintenance to animal feed, everything is natural. She rolls her own oats and butchers the chickens. The children do not have cellphones until they are old enough to drive. They handle multiple chores and split wood for the woodstove. It’s a trade-off — they enjoy the extra warmth during the winter months. The busiest time is March and April, when the height of tax season coincides with the birth of baby goats and the start of planting season. Jim compares their life to Little House on the Prairie.
Sounds idyllic, right?
Except that since 2008 Jim has been working a job in Savannah. He leaves early Monday morning, armed with homemade meals (no chemicals or preservatives) to last all week, and he returns Friday morning. He has a pit in his stomach every Sunday night, he tells me, to leave his wife and family behind for the week. He has missed much over the years. He is a mechanic for Gulfstream airplanes, and his best opportunities right now are in Savannah. There is nothing he wants more than to be able to be with his family. And here is where the story turns to Jim and business.
