September is always a busy month when students are back at school, and when the weather is warm enough for outdoor adventures.
The Functional Integrated Program at John Paul II Collegiate has a tradition of doing something special every Friday afternoon. Some outings are in and around the Battlefords like volunteering at the Food Bank, or hiking at Finlayson Island. Sometimes, the students and staff are out of town wall climbing at Ranger Lake Bible Camp or learning to roast coffee at Bogart's Bay on Birch Lake.
Last week's trip to Bogart's Bay Coffee Roastery on the shores of Birch Lake near Glaslyn was an adventure.
First, the students watched as Andrew Smith and Wendy Porter, owner/operators of the coffee roaster, lit the charcoal in the "old-school" roasting machine they imported from India. The green coffee beans were measured before they were poured into the pre-heated drum.
Students took turns on the big crank to keep the drum of the roasting machine moving so the beans would not burn. After about 15 minutes of turning the drum, the beans reached the critical temperature of 360 F.
The students were able to see how the color of the beans changed during the roasting process, starting as beige-green, then honey-coloured, to light brown, finally the dark brown color they recognized.
The beans are poured out of the machine at a precise moment. There is extensive steam and smoke.
Once cooled, the hosts ground some of the beans and the staff and students from John Paul II enjoyed a cup of coffee.
