Breakfast Briefing: Honey Bee Health & Nutrition

Start your morning with purpose at our next Breakfast Briefing, featuring Jim Muchmore—Honey Bee Ambassador, beekeeper, and steward of Muchy’s Bee Farm. As an active member of the Morris and Somerset County Beekeepers Association (mscbees.org), Jim is deeply committed to reversing the alarming trend of honey bee decline, with losses exceeding 50% in New Jersey and across the country.

Honey bees are under stress. From pests and pathogens to pesticides and, increasingly poor nutrition, multiple threats are weakening colonies and putting essential pollination services at risk. In this engaging presentation, Jim will take us behind the scenes of modern beekeeping, highlighting how dedicated beekeepers help sustain healthy hives—and how those efforts ripple across entire ecosystems.

Enjoy a light breakfast prior to the start of the presentation.
Get tickets below: GSWA Members: Free | Non-members: $10 (Adult), $5 (Child).

About the Presenter: More than ten years ago, Dr. James Muchmore turned a lifelong interest into action, beginning his beekeeping journey with just two hives. Facing the challenges of overwintering bees, he gradually grew his apiary and, after several seasons of success, now plans to manage ten hives.

Before focusing on bees, Dr. Muchmore worked in cancer research, specializing in drug resistance and clinical nutrition. Drawing on this scientific background, he now collaborates with local and regional beekeeping communities to address one of the most pressing issues facing bees today: nutrition.

Bees rely on a diverse, nutrient-rich diet of pollen and nectar to stay healthy. When floral resources are scarce, colonies suffer. That’s why Jim applauds GSWA’s Plant for Pollinators program, which—thanks to dedicated participants—has helped increase native plantings throughout our region. These efforts are supporting not only honey bees, but also butterflies, birds, and the full web of life that depends on native nectar sources.