Hey there! It’s Jessica from Twining Seasons Farm LLC, our small, family-run flower farm nestled atop one of the tight hills of Friendsville, PA in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Today, I want to share a little about my husband, Nick. We just celebrated his birthday, and it reminded me how incredibly grateful I am to work alongside this amazing man every day.
One of the many things I admire about Nick is his love for problem-solving. Some days, maybe he doesn’t love the problems themselves, but he thrives on finding solutions. He carefully considers his options, tests different approaches, and often lands on an elegant fix. This mindset is a huge advantage for our farm.
A Sawmill & A Challenge
Last year, we made an exciting purchase—a portable sawmill. When my parents recently asked us over dinner what we planned to do with it, we rattled off an ever-growing list:
✔️ Build doors for the garden fence
✔️ Upgrade the chicken coop
✔️ Construct a tool shed
✔️ Build a structure for the mill itself
✔️ Craft wooden stakes and trellises for flowers and vegetables
✔️ Maybe even a playhouse
The sawmill became a reality after Nick’s parents had massive ancient hemlocks removed from their property—trees that once towered over their home but had become a safety hazard. The tree crew offered to haul away the logs for an outrageous price, so they decided to keep them instead. And that’s all the excuse Nick needed to bring his sawmill dream to life.
Now, of course, being the resourceful bargain hunter he is, Nick scoured Marketplace for a used sawmill. And he found the one. There was just one catch: it didn’t work.
The previous owner swore it had worked not too long ago, but after failing to figure out the issue, he gave up and replaced it with a new one. Nick, however, took this as a challenge.
Turning “Broken” into Something Useful
Between moving, setting up the garden, installing a deer fence, and launching our first flower season, the sawmill sat mostly untouched last year. But every so often, Nick would tinker with it—analyzing, researching, and troubleshooting.
Then, one day, he had his aha moment. The problem was simple: two wires to the engine had been switched. A minor, maddening issue—impossible to catch when you don’t know what you’re looking for, but so obvious once it’s solved. With the wires fixed, the mill roared to life again!
This year, we finally put it to use. After a full overhaul—new blades, new exhaust—the sawmill is cutting its first boards.
Nick is notorious for not smiling in pictures (despite his great sense of humor), but when we took photos of him with his newly milled boards, we didn’t have to ask him to grin. The sheer joy of turning raw logs into something useful was enough.
Creating Something From Nothing
Our first project? Cutting over 200 wooden stakes to mark off our new raised beds. And that’s just the beginning!
🛠 More builds are on the way. We can’t wait to see what’s next.
💡 Are you a problem solver too? What projects are you working on? I’d love to hear!
📩 Send me an email or sign up for updates to see what we’re building next here at our sustainable flower farm in Friendsville, PA. Here’s to a productive and rewarding season ahead!
