Long after most Texans are asleep, the Wild Honey Box team is still working.
As the sun sets, thousands of bees return to their hives. That’s when the loading begins. Hive by hive, the family and their crew stack colonies onto semi-trucks before driving overnight to the next blooming stretch of Texas wildflowers.
By sunrise, the bees are already at work again.
It’s a process most people never think about when squeezing honey into tea or drizzling hot honey over pizza. But for the family behind Wild Honey Box, it’s part of a bigger story rooted in hard work, agriculture and a deep respect for bees.
The family behind the honey
At the center of Wild Honey Box is Kenny Reed, whose fascination with bees turned into a full-time business. According to his family, his passion still drives nearly every part of the operation.
“He has his hand in everything, not because he has to, but because he genuinely cares,” said Kayla Simons, Reed’s daughter and social media and marketing coordinator.
Then there’s Wendy Reed, the family storyteller. Before Wild Honey Box had a storefront, she spent weekends working farmers markets, introducing customers to raw honey and explaining modern beekeeping.
The next major chapter came when Kayla’s husband, Dax Simons, joined the business 12 years ago with a background in agriculture and animal science. The company had around 1,500 colonies then; today, that number is about 8,000.
Last year, Kayla joined the business full-time after working in education, helping expand Wild Honey Box’s e-commerce presence and consumer outreach.
“We know this business supports our family and our employees’ families,” Simons said. “There’s a lot at stake, so we give everything we can.”
Why the bees come first
Despite Wild Honey Box’s growth into a large commercial operation, the family still approaches beekeeping with a smaller, hands-on mindset.
That means prioritizing bee health over maximizing profits.
For years, the company participated in California almond pollination, a common practice in commercial beekeeping. Eventually, though, the family noticed the bees were returning stressed and unhealthy.
“It’s lucrative, but it wasn’t what was best for our bees,” Simons said.
Today, Wild Honey Box focuses on Texas honey production, moving colonies based on bloom cycles, weather conditions and forage areas. This approach allows the family to produce seasonal varieties like Texas huisache honey, which can vary drastically from year to year due to weather.
Why choose local honey
For the family behind Wild Honey Box, the care they put into their bees impacts the quality of honey customers take home.
Instead of mass production, the family prioritizes hive health, natural production methods and keeping their honey as close to its natural state as possible.
According to Simons, some large-scale honey products are overheated or heavily processed for a uniform appearance and longer shelf life. Wild Honey Box takes a different approach. Here are the biggest differences customers may notice:
- Raw and unfiltered: Wild Honey Box honey stays raw and unfiltered, preserving its natural qualities and flavor.
- Natural crystallization: Real honey crystallizes over time, something many store-bought brands try to prevent through overheating and processing.
- Texas-produced honey: Instead of blending honey from multiple sources or countries, Wild Honey Box produces it directly from its Texas colonies.
- A more transparent process: Customers know the honey’s origin and the care in its production.
More than a honey shop
As Wild Honey Box has grown, so has its vision for the future.
What started as a honey business is evolving into a community-centered farm store. Alongside jars of raw honey and flavored creamed honeys, customers can find products from local farmers and producers. Current offerings include:
- Local sourdough bread
- Farm-raised beef
- Fresh eggs and chicken from neighboring farms
- Natural products made by Kayla and Dax’s children
- Seasonal honey varieties and creamed honeys
- Specialty flavors of creamed honey and hot honey
The expansion is personal for the family. After losing a loved one to cancer at a young age, they became more intentional about the products they bring into their home and store.
That philosophy extends to affordability.
“We’re not trying to get rich off our beef or other natural products,” Kayla said. “We just want to offer good products at a reasonable price.”
The family is working to expand into a larger storefront to support more local vendors and producers.
Learn more
Whether customers want raw local honey, specialty flavors or locally sourced farm products, the family behind Wild Honey Box hopes every visit helps people feel more connected to the food they bring home.
To shop products, learn about beekeeping or explore seasonal honey offerings, visit Wild Honey Box online.
The above story was produced by Multi-Platform Journalist Chloe Chapel, with the Community Impact’s Storytelling team, using information solely provided by the local business as part of their “sponsored content” purchase through our advertising team.