village in New Mexico

Honey bee forage in Cimarron, 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 (97th percentile) and lowest in fall (75th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 1.1 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Cimarron?

  • First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
  • Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking early May (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
  • Season ends: Oct 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cimarron, 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 2.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
  • Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 136 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi NE, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
  • Millet: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (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 Cimarron

Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill Shrubland.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.39 mi S.

How Cimarron ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US60th64th65th78th
New Mexico99th92nd97th75th
Southwestern Tablelands96th78th95th54th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 72% 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 Cimarron: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Ute Park 11 mi · Eagle Nest 20 mi · Springer 20 mi · Maxwell 21 mi · Angel Fire 21 mi · Taos Ski Valley 30 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 Cimarron (36.5083, -104.9104); 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.