Rebuilding Whaley Farm Brewery Together

WHALEY GO FUND ME

Hi, we are Chris and Jessica Whaley, the owners of Whaley Farm Brewery in Old Fort, NC. On Friday, September 27th, Hurricane Helene swept through our town, taking with it homes and businesses of Downtown Old Fort.

Right now, our community is suffering. Hurricane Helene has caused unfathomable death and destruction in our region. We are immensely thankful that all our friends and family are safe and accounted for. To those of you picking up the pieces in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, our hearts are with you.

Our brewery and taproom, located along Mill Creek, suffered incalculable damage from the force of the rapidly rising flood. Around three feet of water, mud, and debris inundated the building. At this point, we are unsure what we can salvage. The flood destroyed our entire outdoor space. Our foundation is in pieces. Nearly everything inside was covered in a foot of mud and sludge — almost all of our equipment is destroyed. Two thousand gallons of beer in tanks will never be poured. The farm store inventory was lost. It is unclear what insurance will do to help.

We dreamed of building Whaley Farm Brewery long before settling in Western North Carolina a decade ago. After discovering our land in Old Fort, we built the brewery from the ground up over three years and transformed this dream into reality. “Whaley” was conceived to bring together our passions for farming and brewing in a bright space where people can come as they are to meet friends, family, and strangers around a glass of beer and access to local farm-fresh produce.

Whaley has come to mean more than our last name or a realized dream since we opened two years ago. It now represents the entire community that supports us and keeps the dream alive. This includes our staff, our customers, other small business owners in our town, the brewing community, and many others. We’ve seen strangers become family at our bar, and we are proud to be a part of the community cultivated in this space.

It is heartbreaking to see our building destroyed, but the dream remains unshaken in us and in the community that is showing up every day to lend a hand. Your love and support have been a great source of comfort.

We are anxious to rebuild the brewery and taproom (with hopes of reopening within the next year), but we need your help to fund the work necessary to support our staff, whose livelihoods rely on our taproom, and the rising rebuild costs. Together, we are strong and resilient and will move forward.

If you are in a position to provide any amount of financial support while we rebuild, we would be forever grateful. We look forward to pouring y’all a beer again someday.

We are raising $100,000 to help offset the following expenses:

- Staff Salaries (Our bartenders & ourselves)

- Contract Labor to Restablish Utilities (Electrician, Plumber, HVAC, etc.)

- Site Grading Work

- Water Damage and Mold Remediation

- Demolition and Hauling

- Beer Disposal

- Dumpster Rental

- Purchase of Replacement Equipment

- Insurance Costs

- Unplanned Expenses