This Bored Ape is combining his love of bees and honey with his interest in web3 to create a sweet business based around his honey looking Koda named Drip!
Bored Ape Yacht Club member Shane Cultra has been growing his family owned plant nursery business for the last 30 years and during that time developed a love of bees and honey!
The Cultra family has been cultivating the land of Urbana, Illinois for centuries, and in 1987, they opened their own nursery, County Arbors. As the family’s business grew, so did bees' and beekeepers' interest in this green thumbed family owned nursery!
“We grow millions of flowers and plants and it's a great location for bees,” Cultra told the Gazette. “A pond and creek for water and something always in bloom. Local beekeepers swooned over the chance to put hives there. The deal was we would be great stewards of the land, reduce chemicals, let some of the wildflowers grow on and not mow, and we could have half the honey and learn about keeping bees.”
This buzzing business relationship pollinated an opportunity for Cultra to begin marketing the beekeepers’ honey and let them focus more time on their bees.
“As I talked to the keepers, I realized that the only reason most keepers sold their honey and went to farmers markets was to pay for their hobby,” Cultra said. “It was their least favorite part of their hobby. I didn’t have time to be a full-time beekeeper, but I was great at marketing and sales. So, I told them I would buy their honey in bulk, and they didn’t have to worry about going to stores and working farmers markets on weekends.
Overtime, Cultra began purchasing honey from various beekeepers across the country and learned more about this sweet business.
When Cultra joined the BAYC in May 2021, he put his white fur Bored Ape, Bored Ape #8525, on the packaging for a batch of ‘white colored honey.’
“When I bought my Ape I knew I wanted to get him on some honey,” Cultra said. “As I was talking to a beekeeper she told me she had a hive that was the clearest honey she had ever had and she had been keeping honey for two decades. Almost like water. I had an idea. They called this clear honey “White Honey “ and I had a white ape.”
After the success of his white honey release, Cultra knew he wanted to make more honey brands based on web3 IP. At that time, Yuga Labs had just launched the Otherside and the world was getting its first look at Kodas. “When Kodas came out I didn’t get one on my five pieces of land I was airdropped so I went shopping, he said. “As I looked I saw one that looked exactly like a bee so I bought it.”
That Koda was Koda #5212 and Cultra named him Drip because the mystical creature's face looked like it was dripping.
“As I looked at him I thought he looked like he was melting, he was hot. It gave me and idea, I could make a pepper infused honey,” Cultra said.
After Cultra purchased Drip, this apiarist began experimenting with Carolina Reaper peppers and honey.
“I wanted a honey with flavor and heat but not so hot you couldn’t use it,” he said. “After about 10 batches I got a recipe that I think is really good. It doesn’t ruin the food but adds some kick.”
