Americana in Aiken

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.

Americana in Aiken | Palmetto Bella

Americana in Aiken | Palmetto Bella

Americana in Aiken | Palmetto Bella

Picture of Robin Warren

Robin Warren

Robin Warren moved to Aiken from New Hampshire in 2016. Now mostly retired from nearly 3 decades of web designing, she now spends her time volunteering and editing Bella Magazine. And performing with her musical partner Brian Clancey under the name Spirit Fiddle. You can listen to their music at SpiritFiddle.com.
Picture of Robin Warren

Robin Warren

Robin Warren moved to Aiken from New Hampshire in 2016. Now mostly retired from nearly 3 decades of web designing, she now spends her time volunteering and editing Bella Magazine. And performing with her musical partner Brian Clancey under the name Spirit Fiddle. You can listen to their music at SpiritFiddle.com.

In the know

Related Stories

Vision | Palmetto Bella

Vision

Vision is the ability to close your eyes and imagine a future that does not yet exist.  Why is vision important? How can it impact your life? Nelson Mandela said, “Action without vision is passing time away, vision without action is day dreaming, but vision with action can change the world.”  What are you doing? Where are you going? Why? Vision is often the first step in setting goals and plans for a successful future. If you could go anywhere, do anything, be anything, have anything, what would you want?  A powerful vision takes purpose, reason, intention, and planning. What do you want your finances to be next year? In 3 years? In 10 years? What do you want your

Read More »
SAFETY | Palmetto Bella

SAFETY

Many elements are considered nutrients and are essential for the proper functioning of the body. They are divided into macrominerals (calcium, magnesium, zinc, sodium) and trace minerals (boron, molybdenum, selenium, iodine). Conversely, there are a number of elements that are toxic to the human body and can interfere with its functioning and undermine health — these include mercury, lead, cadmium, aluminum, and arsenic. These toxic metals have no known physiological functions. They can be toxic to organ systems and may disrupt the balance of essential nutrients. Essential elements play an important role in our overall health and well-being. These help mediate a number of biochemical processes such as metabolism and

Read More »
The Multi-Generational Workplace | Palmetto Bella

The Multi-Generational Workplace

In my world, we talk about the multiple generations in the workplace on a regular basis. Generations are defined by age, date of birth, and critical societal events. Each generation has its own strengths, limitations, and values. Understanding the differences can create a more cohesive work environment. Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) The baby boomer generation was named for the “boom” of babies born in the United States following the end of World War II. This generation is characterized by a strong work ethic; members are goal oriented, highly resourceful, and team oriented. Baby boomers’ philosophies have been formed through the civil rights movement, the Beatles invasion, Woodstock, the end of

Read More »
A Look at the Roaring Twenties | Palmetto Bella

A Look at the Roaring Twenties

At the end of the first quarter, the S&P 500 had managed to record a stunning 56.3% total return, including dividends, over the past 12 months — a historic rally indeed. The purchase of equities remains firmly intact as vaccines appear to have the spread of COVID-19 in check, and fiscal and monetary policies have ignited a significant economic recovery since the second half of 2020. In this article, I will recap some of the headlines of the past year as well as highlight issues we should pay attention to going forward. The real estate industry is booming with a strong demand for houses, and the high costs of building

Read More »