Roverhi,
You grew the noble bean in Kona, eh? One of my favorite coffee varieties!
I tried to roast my own once. You're right--forget it! Kind of like making wine, fun to try, but soooo much easier to just buy it done right by the experts. I've found the key to fresh coffee is to keep the air out (vacuum seal, as suggested), and slow down the reaction to the oxygen that remains (refrigeration). Keep it cold until you use it. As we all learned in Chem 101, the speed of the oxidation reaction doubles with every 10 deg C increase in temperature.
When we were in
Dominica, hiking in the mountains, we would strip a few cherries from the coffee plants growing along the trail and suck on them. Interesting flavor, reminiscent of the roasted bean, but fresher!