community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Church Rock, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 26% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in fall (61st percentile) and lowest in spring (18th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.11 mi W.
When is the honey flow in Church Rock?
- First forage: Mar 16 (weedy mustards, arrowleaf balsamroot, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Oct 31, peaking early May (native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Church Rock, 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 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, weedy mustards, spring-flowering shrubs, arrowleaf balsamroot; extra light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, summer-flowering shrubs; amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush, asters; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, weedy mustards; amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Church Rock
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.82 mi SE.
How Church Rock ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 9th | 20th | 22nd | 70th |
| New Mexico | 26th | 18th | 42nd | 61st |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 42nd | 32nd | 54th | 55th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 41% 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 Church Rock: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
White Cliffs 5 mi · Sundance 6 mi · Iyanbito 6 mi · Fort Wingate 7 mi · Pinedale 9 mi · Catalpa Canyon 10 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 Church Rock (35.5691, -108.573); 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.