���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������ Hometown Livin g At Its Best 53 peach trees, and an old black walnut tree well established on the land. In 1898, Mark’s grandmother, Cornelia Williams, bought a hundred acres of land for $2 an acre in Tattnall County. In 1905, the land helped form a new county in Georgia named Toombs. “When Highway 56 was paved, it cut right through the property,” said Mark. “I have the 48 acres on this side.” Over the years that Lisa had been in the childcare business, she had become more and more concerned as she watched outside play be replaced by technological entertainment. “I had a three-year-old come to the daycare with a backpack that contained a laptop, iPad, iPhone, and a handheld game of some sort,” said Lisa. After two weeks of outside play, the young boy voluntarily left his electronics at home. It took a year to turn Mark’s workshop into a farmhouse style facility for children. On August 1, 2013, Mark, Lisa and her daughters, Ashlynn and Amery, officially opened Little Folks Farm and Childcare to the community. In addition to Lisa’s 20 years of experience owning and operating a daycare, she said, “Amery and I both have our childdevelopment associate certifications (CDA), which is a national credential, as well as countless certificates showing hours of trainings throughout the years from all over Georgia and Florida. We also have advanced pediatric CPR and First Aid and fire safety training.” Even though the family land offered the perfect setting, opening a childcare facility so far out of town was a brave venture. By the end of 2014, they still only had a handful of children. “I became discouraged,” said Lisa. “We had a hard time getting the word out that we were even here. But my sister-in-law, Leah Carver, kept saying that the daycare was going to grow and eventually have to add on as the word got out about us.” Mark, Lisa, and their church family at Living At Its Best 41
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