Help Cortona Cafe and aspiring Black Farmer

For those of you who don't know me my name is Isolynn Dean mostly known as Ice.

(tl;dr bottom of page)

For the last 10 years I have been a fixture of Cortona Cafe. For the last 7 years I have been owner/operator, making Cortona one of the only black queer woman-owned coffee shops in the mecca of Coffee that is Seattle, WA. We've created a very welcoming, comforting and safe hub for our community that is truly one of a kind. I am extremely proud of the work that we accomplished during these years but now, with the current shifts and changes worldwide, I've accepted that it is time to evolve.

My hopes are that you can help me in my pursuits of growth both with the transition of the Cafe and my personal goals of starting a mushroom farm.


Evolution of Cortona to MeloCafe

My exit strategy for Cortona Cafe has always been to be a model of young black entrepreneurs coming together as a collective to achieve their goals. Meaning, I'm not going to sell my business to the highest bidder. I'd rather keep it BLACK in a once black neighborhood, with a black queer woman and a muslim somali woman (themelojuice) that share my vision in continuing the space for the community. With that said, I'm seeking financial help from you all to supplement them and make sure I can have a solid foundation to attain my future goals.

Fungi

I have always loved the science, magic and deliciousness of  fungus! It wasn't until very recently I realized that starting a mushroom farm could even be attainable. I sat on the idea for a year until...dun dun dun the PANDEMIC! I believe Covid has granted space for many of us to sit back and reassess and upon doing so I discovered now is as good a time as any to pursue my dream. Agriculture has always been at the top of my 10 year plan and with the movement of aspiring black farmers gaining momentum I'm going to take the plunge and join.

Retreat Center

I have been blessed by the universe to have family with acres on the outskirts of Atlanta, GA who are willing to share that land with me to pursue my dreams. My plan is to host retreats and events in the coming years for BIPOC to come convene, ground, gain knowledge and heal. Cultivating space for folks to release and be nourished is one of the gifts I possess and take the most pride in. I'm looking forward continuing to evolve and sharing those gifts for those who visit our little haven in Georgia.

My intentions:

- Supplement the cost of handing over Cortona Cafe
- Build a low to mid tech mushroom farm
- Build a hydroponics greenhouse facility
- Organize a space to retreat for folks specifically BIPOC once the farm has been established
- Compensate consultation from elders and institutions during the process

Use of your donations:

- Winterizing Cortona/Melocafe during the transition of phases in the Pandemic
- Shipping containers
- Fans
- Ducting Installation
- Pressure sterilizer
- Greenhouse
- Hydroponic setup
- Truck/Vehicle
- Agriculture and Mycology courses
- Relocation

Other ways you can help:

1. Please spread the word! Use this link to share on social media and other outlets gofundme.com/f/Help-Cortona-and-aspiring-Black-Farmer 

2. Stop by Cortona in the next few weeks to get some waffles, coffee, pastries and air hug goodbyes

3. Come take home a piece of Cortona by visiting our IG donation page. (Donation Market )

4. Support (themelojuice) to have a smooth transition of making their future goals a reality. 

Thank you so much for your support and understanding during this growth. I love and appreciate you all and would not have been able to make any of this a reality without you!

In community,

Ice and Starla








tl;dr

After a decade of being a positive and contributing force of and for the community, I'm selling the space to local entrepreneurs and following my dream of a running a farm and retreat center.