Ali & Alicia- Meet your local beekeepers.
King Cobra Apiary is an USDA-registered, Got To Be NC-certified commercial honey farm that maintains several hundred honey bee colonies within Orange and Alamance counties, right in the Piedmont of North Carolina.
Our operation primarily focuses on local honey production by utilizing quality bees and natural forage. We also make and sell several different kinds of beeswax products and sell honey bee nucs in the spring time. In our operation, we see a great deal of wildflower nectar being brought in, including blackberry, black locust, clover, tulip poplar, and other native plants, which allows us to harvest three distinct honey varieties throughout the year. Each of our varieties offer a unique color and award-winning flavor profile that is loved by many throughout our state. The honey is raw, straight from the hive with nothing added. North Carolina is famous for its amazing honey, and it can be a hard to find treat.
King Cobra Apiary was started in 2015 by Ali Iyoob with a few hives and a vision for something larger. As a first generation farmer, he cashed out his 401k to buy bee equipment, and invested everything he could back into the operation. Ali spent countless long days and nights raising up and managing for the most productive honey bees possible, which allowed King Cobra Apiary to prosper into one of the larger commercial honey bee operations in the area.
In early 2016, Ali met Alicia Ballard, another beekeeper and professional research entomologist, and the two teamed up as business partners and as a couple. The two spent many sleepless nights together building product inventory, researching market strategies, and figuring out how to run a successful farming operation. King Cobra Apiary has faced many challenges over the years, but has overcome these obstacles with hard work, dedication, and a passion to produce a quality product.
