|
|
June the Month of Tidbids:
Mini Roasts
Mini Roast...sounds kinda' catchy, doesn't it? Well, we do not know if we will buy whole hog into this roasting option; however, we are giving it a try in our efforts to fill small orders that come in between larger or standing orders. What are they? Well, we are cutting the roast size in half to make sure the coffee orders are filled with the freshest bean possible. The only problem is adjusting our brains to make sure we take the bean to the proper roasting level and to do it in the most appropriate time frame. We have shipped a few of these orders to our customers with notes explaining the status of the shipment. We are also asking for feedback from customers that receive the mini roasts coffees. The "neat" thing about this is you get to participate in an evolving company move, and your opinions will guide us in our preparation. Also, most of our coffees will continue to be roasted as full portion roasts, so you get to sharpen your taste buds to see if you can detect any variations! :o) Hopefully, no one will be able to tell when the coffee is mini or maxi! Well...I reckon you will since we will always tell you when your coffee was roasted as part of a mini batch.
Training/Conference/Office Center Complete
We have now completed our development of the upper floor of our Farm Store/Coffee Roasting Area/Show Barn. This area houses, or will soon house our offices for both Walnut Knoll Farm and The Alpaca Bean Coffee Companies. We will have a fiber prep area and a training area as well. We have contracted for the construction of our "vet room" and alpaca holding room and it should be complete by the beginning of June. The fencing is almost all in as well so there are more viewing areas to see as you raise a mug of good ol' Alpaca Bean Coffee. Know you cannot wait to give it a look see! :o)
Heptagon On Its Way
Ever heard of such? Well, if we have our way you will soon be able to say that not only have you heard of such, but you have also seen a unique structure that is very pleasing to the eye and very functional as well. Start guessing now 'cause we aren't tellin' until it is in place! :o)
Coffee Soon to be Offered in 16 oz Bags
Last month I mentioned that we would soon be offering our wonderful blends in a larger bag...well June is the month that this begins. The web store will feature these new bags, and we will continue to charge a reasonable price for these as well. Also, we will change our shipping policies, so keep a watch on the web store...we think you will like what you see!
Well, that is about as many tidbids as I can muster up for one month. Next month will again be a one topic presentation...
Until then,
The Coffeeman
|
|
On a Personal Note......
Parents and Children...and Children that are Parents...and Parents that are Children and Grand-Parents
Ever heard of the "sandwich" generation? Well, that was a term that folks threw around in the late seventies and early eighties of the last decade. Let me tell you I understand that term...but I have a better one for you 'cause Jude and I are part of the "Dagwood" generation. A gerneration that is fortunate to have many generations still stacked...
Jude and I had a short discussion this afternoon on this because I was trying to clarify in my mind how this had worked in her and my families. You see, it appears that in our families, each generation moved in and out of each other generations' lives in a way that is both giving and supportive. Judy's grand parents on her Dad's side relied on Judy's parents for guidance and care as they became older, then Judy's Grandmother on her Mom's side did the same. On my side of the family, my grandmother on my Dad's side relied on a son, Franklin for care...on my mom's side, it was a daughter, Sarah, that provided that care...interesting enough, they both were the youngest of the siblin's.
These relationships provided great opportunities for generations to get to know one another, to share good times and bad, and to understand the comings and goings of life. In my family, these opportunities were often centered around good food, good coffee, and good conversations. As a child, I remember watching and listening to my grandfather as he talked, smoked his cigar, drank his coffee and discussed the issues surrounding his company and his life. Now I did not understand a blooming thing about what he was saying, mind you, but I can still, in my mind's senses, smell that cigar...boy can I smell that cigar. Later, after he retired, he opened a small restuarant in a small community called Experiment...just outside of Griffin, GA called DeDaddy's Kitchen. He developed his own steak sauce, RB Sauce, and he again proved that he knew how to be successful...even in his retirement years. I always thought that DeDaddy was a nice, soft...superman! He always showed his love for his grandkids in ways that made each of us know we were special in our own way.
Maybe, it was this gentleman's will to succeed even in his "old" age, that got me/us into a retirement that has proven to be as meaningful, or more meaningful, than our earlier success stories and careers. Maybe, just maybe, some day our grands will look back and say...man, NaNa and PaPa really were something, you know? They always seemed to grab for the excitement of life...tried to fully live the life they were given...and boy did they let us know they loved us. Boy did they!
Yep, alpacas and coffee...what a way to live, what a lifestyle...what an opportunity...what a gift to be given. Hard work? Yep, but work that is what it is...a gift to be shared over time...We have Bodacious Bolivian, Peruvian Especial, or PeBo's Cafe Grande; DeDaddy had RB Sauce...doesn't seem like it is too similar until you realize they were all developed to bring a smile to the partaker!
Peace,
The Coffeeman
|
|
