community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in West Hammond, 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 spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (55th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); popcorn and ornamental corn (nearest 0.8 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.8 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in West Hammond?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Aug 15 (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of West Hammond, 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 Apr 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, garden flowers; extra 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 34 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 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 West Hammond
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Southern Colorado Plateau Sand Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.03 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.26 mi W.
How West Hammond ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 86th | 66th | 66th |
| New Mexico | 99th | 99th | 98th | 55th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 99th | 100th | 97th | 49th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 37% 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 West Hammond: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lee Acres 2 mi · Crouch Mesa 5 mi · Bloomfield 6 mi · South River 7 mi · Angustura 7 mi · Sullivan 8 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 West Hammond (36.682, -108.0438); 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.