village in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Willard, 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 (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (74th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 0.4 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Willard?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Apr (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Willard, 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Sorghum: about 730 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 770 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 29 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi S, blooms early Jun – 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 Willard
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat; Sorghum.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.62 mi E; pond, lake or river 1.33 mi SW.
How Willard ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 60th | 61st | 67th | 77th |
| New Mexico | 99th | 90th | 98th | 74th |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 96th | 73rd | 96th | 52nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 66% 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 Willard: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Estancia 12 mi · Mountainair 13 mi · Punta de Agua 15 mi · Torreon 18 mi · Deer Canyon 19 mi · Tajique 19 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 Willard (34.5949, -106.0323); 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.