village in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Chama, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in summer and fall (100th percentile) and lowest in spring (73rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Chama?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 15, peaking early Jun (clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Chama, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on May 26.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spring-flowering shrubs, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Alfalfa: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Chama
Mostly: Rocky Mountain Gambel Oak-Mixed Montane Shrubland; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.18 mi SE; open water 0.2 mi E.
How Chama ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 51st | 80th | 95th |
| New Mexico | 99th | 73rd | 100th | 100th |
| Southern Rockies | 98th | 99th | 89th | 88th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 49% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Chama: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Brazos 10 mi · Los Ojos 11 mi · Ensenada 11 mi · Tierra Amarilla 13 mi · Lumberton 20 mi · Dulce 23 mi
All towns in New Mexico · National map · How the scoring works
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Chama (36.8901, -106.5842); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.