Robertson County is known for lots of things but intriguing, interesting and out of the box hobbies usually isn't one of them. I was fortunate enough to meet with some part-time Robertson County residents while setting up at the local farmer's market. This husband and wife were retirees who lived part of the year here and part of the year in Florida. During our conversation they informed me about their favorite past-time... Coffee.  I was intrigued and had no idea they were even here in this area let alone they had their own coffee roasting business. After several discussions and Facebook posts nobody else did either! The couple were more than willing to come to our local extension office for a 2 Day Coffee Retreat where those partaking in the retreat learned about the entire coffee experience from bean to cup. They discuss the scientific properties that go into selecting the beans and why certain beans give off certain flavors. We also roasted and ground beans as a part of the class on the first day.

The second day consisted of the classes favorite part. Taste-testing. Participants were able to taste-test each one and discuss the notes they could taste and smell and reflect back to what they learned the day before about what makes certain beans taste a certain way.  I was praised over and over for setting up this class. The owners were grateful and so were the participants.

Breaking the stigma of a "dying town" was something that I knew would be hard to do. Small programs like this are what will revive it and make others just as proud to be a part of it, just as the couple who taught the class are. The class had such a great impact I will now be doing monthly sessions called See Ya' Around Town. I will highlight others in the community who offer talents or skills that aren't part of the norm.