Vandals Destroy Sioux City Honey Business, Donors Respond

SIOUX CITY, IA — A honey production operation destroyed this week by vandals could be rebuilt after donors have stepped up with more than $9,000 in contributions in less than 24 hours. Wild Hill Honey sustained an estimated $60,000 in damage when someone broke into a shed late Wednesday or early Thursday and threw all of its hives out into the snow, killing an estimated half a million bees.

The owners of Wild Hill, Justin and Tori Engelhardt, found the damage Thursday morning when they went to tend to the hives and remove snow from them. Justin Engelhardt told the Sioux City Journal he didn't understand the senselessness of the crime since nothing was taken, but everything was destroyed.

“They knocked over every single hive, killing all the bees," he told the Journal. "They wiped us out completely."

The business was not insured, Engelhardt told the Journal, because insurers don't provide coverage for beekeeping. For the Engelhardts, who started their business six years ago and sell their raw, pure honey in area stores and at trade shows, it appeared to be an end to their operation. They posted photos of the damage on Facebook, saying: "With this kind of loss, the future of Wild Hill Honey is uncertain."

But supporters responded with three GoFundMe pages to help the business rebuild. More than 250 donations ranging from $5 to $100 have been made in less than a day. The Engelhardts have heard from customers, area residents, businesses and beekeepers from as far away as Maine

The response has been overwhelming for the couple, who posted on their Facebook page that they are "thankful and amazed" by the outpouring of support and will try to respond to everyone who has reached out to them.

"We had a long day of cleaning up and trying to make sense of the mess," the Facebook update said. "We thought if we posted about our tragedy, maybe someone would have info about it. We didn’t expect the huge response! Thank you everyone!"

The business has updated its Facebook page with links to three GoFundMe pages. Organizers of the fundraising efforts said they are aware of the multiple campaigns, but since each is trending they will not shut any down yet.

Sioux City Police are investigating the case as a burglary and criminal mischief and believe more than one person was involved. They ask that anyone with information about the crime call Crime Stoppers at 712-258-8477 or text 274637 with SCPDTIP in the message line. The department posted Friday morning on its Facebook page that a cash reward may be paid for tips leading to an arrest and conviction.

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