Help the Church of Fermentation Become a Community Space

Help us create a community gathering space in the Historic Clear Branch Church!

Blessings and greetings to you from the Eastern Slope of Stone Mountain on Taylor Creek: A Tributary to the Broad River of Western North Carolina. My name is Griffin Abee. Thank you for taking the time to see what we are working on.

THERE is NOW the BEFORE hurricane HELENE and the AFTER hurricane HELENE

When Hurricane Helene landed in Western North Carolina in late September, my partner and I were midway through converting an old church near our home into a winery, hoping to someday expand it into a gathering place. The storm changed everything. And not only in the ways you might expect.

As we connected with neighbors to help each other out in a crisis, it became clear: our community needs a gathering place. We need a space to connect, share resources, and hear each other's stories, after storms and in between them, during emergencies and in ordinary times. And we need it now, not years from now. Rather than waiting to convert the Church of Fermentation into a community space, help us do it now -- when our community needs it the most.

OUR STORY

A year ago, my life partner, Brandon and I, with the support of my father, started renovating an old church in the heart of the Broad River community, outside the town of Black Mountain, with the intention of turning it first into a winery and then adding a tasting room/community space later.

By mid-September of this year, we had finished transforming the back half of the church into a wine production space, and the day before the storm touched down, we moved our winemaking operation from Addison Farms Vineyard in Leicester into our new winery.

Our plan had been to focus on production and wholesale for the coming year or so and then build out the original historic front half of the church for public events and social gatherings as resources allowed.

When we woke on September 27th, (the day of the storm and Brandon’s birthday), so much in our region had changed. We realized that the landscape was different: familiar areas were almost unrecognizable, homes and businesses were devastated and that many places, plants, animals and people were gone forever. Although we only suffered some small landslides and downed trees in our parking area which we are currently cleaning up, we realized it was time to approach this community vision and project in a new way.

The old Clear Branch Church is an historic landmark. Sited prominently on Highway 9 between Black Mountain and Chimney Rock, this is the oldest standing Church in the area. It has served as a place of refuge, connection, worship and resilience for almost 100 years, and our vision has that legacy moving onward.

My wish is to collaborate with you: to create a place where we can enjoy being together—where we can share a brew or listen to music or discuss a book or watch a performance. Maybe we’ll even create a small market for essential food items, maybe we’ll host weekly classes in yoga or martial arts. I am curious to hear what others are wishing for.

My prayer is that this place can feel like a gift for us all.

SOCIAL FERMENTATION AND A PLACE FOR THE SACRED

For the past ten years, I’ve been producing small-batch herbal meads, under the name Alchemy Herbal Wines, at Addison Farms Vineyard, northwest of Asheville, while dreaming of a winery of my own.

Now that I have my own winery, I wish to broaden my practice of alchemy, and invite my neighbors into it—by making the church a hub of social fermentation.

When we ferment together, we ferment each other. We use what agitates us—storms, losses, disasters, politics, religions—to cultivate openness, curiosity, and aliveness.

When we ferment together, we transform our differences into understanding, trust, and ties that build resilience.

When we ferment together, we infuse the human spirit, the holy spirit, and the spirits of our plant and honeybee allies into the spirits we drink.

We also extend the legacy of an historic building that was built to bring people together to honor the sacred.

What’s sacred? It depends on whom you ask and if you ask enough people, you just might find that everything is sacred...

At the Clear Branch Alchemy Church of Fermentation, we wish to welcome people of all views. Yes, we are turning honey into wine, and we’re also nourishing connection by supporting personal growth and cultural evolution.

Here, diverse groups come together to discover common ground, and foster resilience and fellowship. Please help us to forward this vision.

HOW WE'LL USE THE FUNDS

We’ll use the funds we raise to turn the front half of the church into a comfortable, beautiful gathering place.

Here’s a breakdown of what we need to do:

We’ll start remodeling the tasting room as soon as possible and we’d love to open our doors to the public early next summer.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Thanks so much for reading, and considering giving us your support.

For updates, please follow Clear Branch Alchemy on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/clearbranchalchemy

Questions? Want to help in another way? Please contact us using the “Contact” button below.

Please share this GoFundMe to help the Church of Fermentation become a community gathering place. Thank you!