Coffee drinkers love to talk about where their coffee beans come from and they love to grind their own beans. But how many have ever roasted their own beans…outside…in the hills of Arkansaseven in the winter? Yeah, I thought not. I happen to know one who does.
Madison Woods, one of several nom de plumes, lives with her husband in very rural Arkansas, working hard at living a sustainable lifestyle 30 minutes from paved roads. I first met her through Friday Fictioneers, a group she founded. The premise behind FF, which I participated in for a number of years, is to write a 100-word story based on a photo. (The group continues today under the auspices of Rochelle Wisoff-Fields, a three-times published author.) Madison still writes, her specialty being rural (vs. urban) fantasy. She has one book published and available on Amazon, with a second in the works.
Madison loves nature. One of her more esoteric pursuits is American ginseng. She says:
American Ginseng and the habitat that supports this endangered plant is one of my avid interests. Most of my non-fiction is devoted to this topic and I encourage anyone with the right kind of land to help protect and re-establish habitat. This is my goal for our property even though we still intend to harvest and sell our roots eventually. With proper planning, planting and ethical harvesting, it will thrive for generations to come.
Wild Ozark is the only licensed American ginseng nursery in Arkansas.
But about that coffee. When I wanted a unique gift for one of my s-i-l’s who’s a coffee drinker, my mind immediately went to Madison. She and her husband love coffee so much that they source, then roast their own. I contacted her in January, only to be told that it was too cold outside to roast, but that she thought in a few days it would warm up enough to do so. That’s not something you see every day!
We use Peru Aprocassi Fair Trade and Organic beans. This is the variety of bean we love the most. I roast outside in full view of the mountains and the valley. The Wild Ozark hills are infused in every cup!
Ordered and delivered long before the birthday date, I waited to see what my s-i-l thought. When she finally opened and tried the coffee, she raved about it. The proof is that she just re-ordered. Hopefully it’s nice enough outdoors to roast! 🙂
Interested? The coffee is $15/roasted pound, whole bean only. Email Madison at madison@wildozark.com for availability, postage, and payment methods. If you’d like to read more about Madison and her interests (or to sign up to follow her blog), go to the Wild Ozark website. Even if you aren’t interested in coffee, you’ll find it full of interesting information about ginseng and other things and you can shop in the Nature Boutique or order one of her fantasy books. There’s so much there I can’t even tell you about all of it, so take time for a visit. It’s easier to get to than Madison’s place in Arkansas. 🙂
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