Taos
Honey Co.
has had a fluid & dynamic history in Northern New Mexico since the 1980s. Originally known as Questa Honey, we’ve evolved over the years — from mailing out paper catalogs and taking 1-800 orders over the phone to the modern era of 24-hour texts, online sales, Instagram videos, and even crypto web orders. But through all the changes, one thing remains the same: the bees still fly, the honey still flows, and the rhythm of the seasons continues to shape our work.
Today, under the stewardship of Michael McMannon, our bees forage the Taos Valley & Upper Rio Grande watershed, gathering nectar from over 300 colonies throughout the varied seasons. These hives, grouped into small apiaries from the mesas & high desert to the mixed conifer forests of the subalpine, face countless challenges — ravenous black bears, unpredictable droughts, parasitic mites & genetic bottlenecks. Yet, against all odds, they persist. It’s all a miracle, really.
each year is unique,
dictated by the whims of nature. The winter snowpack feeds the spring runoff, filling rivers & acequias that sustain the land. The summer monsoons bring dramatic rainbows over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, soaking deep into the soil & giving rise to nectar flows. Some years, an early full-moon freeze in September halts the season abruptly, while in others, the bees fly happily through Halloween, still gathering the last traces of pollen.
Spring arrives with a fury of blooms that send locals running to Taos Herb for allergy remedies — a true blessing for the honeybees. Russian olive & elm trees, juniper pollen coating every surface, cottonwood fluff drifting through old neighborhoods like bubbles in the wind. Fruit orchards roll out their blossoms in waves — apricots & plums first, followed by apples & pears, especially in the lower Rio Grande Valley near Embudo & Pilar. This early bloom allows us to jumpstart the beekeeping season—splitting hives, introducing new queens, & watching the colonies grow strong.
By late summer, the bees turn their focus to the historic irrigated fields, particularly alfalfa, where they produce the finest & most abundant honey of the season. The precious white & pink clovers yield a golden, floral nectar, with our beekeepers scrambling to keep up — stacking honey supers just in time for the rapid honey flow. The bees also delight in the wild sage, chamisa, & mustards that thrive in places where humans do nothing at all.
Harvest begins in late August, marking our longest & most rewarding days — watching the honey drizzle from the extractor, separating fragrant beeswax, & most importantly, ensuring the colonies keep enough honey to survive the winter. When November’s cold sets in, we all pause to reflect: How was this year? What did we learn? Should we do this all again? Can we grow a little bit more?
Of course,
the answer is always yes.
After leaving the Forest Service, he apprenticed with Taos Honey’s original beekeeping team and soon took the reins of the business. Though he tried leaving Taos a few times for practical reasons, it never stuck. Like so many others, he eventually surrendered to life in the Taos Valley, where he’s spent 30 years immersed in the community, local food economy, and land stewardship.
