BURLINGTON, Wis. — A masked burglar took cash and goods from a small grocery store on a farm outside Burlington early Wednesday morning — a store built entirely on trust.
The Walworth County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the burglary at LarryVille Gardens, a hyper-local organic grocery store called "The Source" that operates 24/7, 365 days on the honor system.
Owner Michelle Cannon said security camera footage shows the suspect entering through a rarely used back door around 3:45 a.m., taking all the change from the register, then moving quickly through the store to grab frozen ground turkey, homemade laundry detergent, soap and lotion, raspberry lip balm, and honey.
Watch: Burlington farm’s organic grocery store burglarized by man in pig mask
“It makes me feel disappointed more than anything,” Cannon said. “Honestly, if he’d have taken the money and just not worn a pig mask and put a sign up and said, ‘I’m in need,’ I’d have said, ‘Okay,' I wouldn't have called the cops on him.”
Cannon described the suspect as between 5-foot-4 and 5-foot-6, with short dark hair and a build suggesting they may be in their late 20s to 30s. She believes the person knew exactly where to go inside the store.
“It took him no more than 30 seconds to take what he knew he wanted, fill his bag and walk out,” she said.
Morgan Sisson, the farm and business manager, said the sight of the pig mask was unsettling.
“It was upsetting. We are fairly generous at this farm. We are willing to give whatever people need,” Sisson said. “If somebody’s willing to come in here masked, it means they’re willing to do it somewhere else.”
In addition to running the grocery store, LarryVille Gardens hosts seasonal farmers markets on the property, inviting 10 to 20 vendors — many of them new homesteaders — to sell their goods. Cannon said the farm provides tents, tables and other equipment to help vendors learn how to market their products, from meats and cheeses to handcrafted soaps. She and Sisson also sell at several regional farmers markets, including Fox Point, Racine and Oak Creek.
Cannon and Sisson plan to keep their honor system in place but will add more security cameras and sensors. They hope the upgrades will alert them to intruders and help catch anyone else thinking about stealing.
LarryVille Gardens has operated for 18 years. Their organic-certified grocery store called "The Source" started during COVID, selling produce grown year-round on-site along with meats, cheeses, milk, honey, artisan goods, and other local products. Cannon says customers come from Burlington, Lake Geneva, Milwaukee, Racine, Chicago, and beyond.
“We don’t have a ton of money, but we have food,” Cannon said. “If you need food, we’ll help.”
No arrests have been made at this time.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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