OUR STORY

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Working Girls Meadows is owned and managed by Debbie Haberland who works along with her husband Mike. Both are biologists and teachers who had the opportunity to start working with these incredible insects who demonstrate collective wisdom and effective decision making and were rapidly “stung”.  Two hive quickly multiplied to nearly fifty, most situated at farms and nurseries in Burlington County, NJ with great natural foraging buffered from pesticides. These colonies are provided with individual attention focusing on colony health, limiting bee stress and increasing the apiary's sustainability. 

 

Through research and practices we are developing our own locally grown queens that can survive winters and be more mite tolerant. This selective breeding and active hive management supports our production hives and Queen rearing program.

 

Debbie spends much of her time keeping the apiary management on task, teaching science and sharing what she has learned about bees. Mike is an Associate Professor and County Environmental Agent with Rutgers University Cooperative Extension were he uses applied research in the creation and education of innovative environmental, sustainable community and natural resource management practices.  This includes beekeeping and the creation of native pollinator habitat to educate the public on the importance of pollinators.  With the renewed interest in beekeeping, today’s beekeepers need to be both stewards of and partners with the honeybee, helping to manage the hive in order for it to thrive.