Tatum talks coffee beans at Garden Club meeting

From left, Tina Tatum, Coffee Central; Rusty Todd, Hostess; Sandra Stafford, Hostess; Pat Tennant, Hostess. (Courtesy photo)

Submitted item

The DeSoto Civic Garden Club held its monthly meeting on February 6 at the home of member, Sandra Stafford. We were excited to recognize four new members to our club for this year: Connie Williams, Hernando; Janet Eddings, Olive Branch; Dawn Weiss, Nesbit; and Dyann Cottam, Nesbit. 

Tina Tatum, owner of Coffee Central, was our guest speaker. We often think of gardening in terms of flowers and vegetables but Tina educated us on the process of growing coffee beans, the cultivation and what it takes to turn beans into a cup of coffee. Interestingly, the coffee bean is actually not a bean at all but a fruit with a seed. To turn these seeds into a cup of coffee involves many processes such as pollination, flowering, berries, hand harvesting, drying, roasting and finally, coffee. 

Coffee Central is a locally owned, fourth level specialty coffee house, meaning it has to meet four criteria: Source – must be a small single origin; Roasting – must be roasted locally; Brewing – must have multiple brewing techniques; Baristas – must have trained baristas. Coffee Central has all of that and more and with two locations, Hernando & Southaven, it is convenient for everyone. 

The DeSoto Civic Garden Club is a member of the National Garden Clubs, Inc. and The Garden Clubs of Mississippi Inc., Hills and Delta District.