You're at a farmers market in Atlanta or a little shop in Savannah, and you spot a bag that looks promising. Before you hand over cash, check for these green flags:

• A visible roast date printed clearly on the bag. This is the big one. Roasters who are proud of their freshness will always tell you when it was roasted.
• Whole beans rather than pre-ground. Ground coffee goes stale in minutes, not weeks. Whole beans give you a fighting chance.
• A one-way valve on the bag. It lets CO2 escape without letting oxygen in, which keeps beans fresher longer.
• The roaster's name and origin—they're transparent about where the beans came from.

If you see these, you're likely looking at a roaster who cares. For weekend-only brewers, this is especially important: you're not going through a bag in a week, so you need it to last.