Cloer Family Farm

Call Contact the business

Cloer Family Farm Family farm in Bloomfield, NM—growing premium, barn-stored alfalfa since 1967.

Every farm family has a winter predictor.Thick horse coats. Woolly bear caterpillars. Geese heading south early. A grand...
10/09/2026

Every farm family has a winter predictor.

Thick horse coats. Woolly bear caterpillars. Geese heading south early. A grandpa whose knee “never lies.”

Here’s one that surprises people: horses don’t grow a heavy coat because they sense a hard winter coming. Coat growth is triggered mostly by shorter days. A fuzzy horse in October is reading the calendar, not the forecast.

What winter sign does your family swear by? Bonus points if it’s actually been right.

Forecasters are watching something unusual in the Pacific Ocean this fall, and it could shape our winter here in the Fou...
10/08/2026

Forecasters are watching something unusual in the Pacific Ocean this fall, and it could shape our winter here in the Four Corners.

El Niño is a warming of ocean water along the equator. It sounds far away, but it shifts the jet stream, and the jet stream steers our winter storms.

This year’s El Niño is a big one. NOAA puts the odds of a “very strong” event at better than 90%. There’s also a real chance it becomes the strongest on record since 1950.

Strong El Niño winters tend to send more Pacific storms across the Southwest. NOAA’s current outlook leans toward a wetter-than-normal winter for New Mexico.

A few honest caveats:
– Better odds aren’t a guarantee. Every El Niño plays out differently.
– A wetter winter isn’t automatically a snowier one. Temperature decides whether a storm brings snow or rain, and the temperature outlook is a toss-up.
– One good winter doesn’t erase years of drought. New Mexico declared statewide drought conditions just this past May.

For farmers and ranchers, it’s a winter to hope for and plan for, without counting on it.

What’s your gut telling you about this winter?

Cutting hay in October is a different job than cutting it in July.In midsummer, a windrow can dry fast. This time of yea...
10/07/2026

Cutting hay in October is a different job than cutting it in July.

In midsummer, a windrow can dry fast. This time of year, everything slows down. The days are shorter, the sun sits lower, the afternoons are cooler, and the morning dew hangs around longer.

That means fall hay can lie in the field a lot longer before it's dry enough to bale safely. If it's baled too wet, it can mold or heat up in the stack. If it's left too long, a storm can catch it, or it dries out so much that the leaves shatter off.

So late-season haying comes down to watching the forecast, checking moisture by hand, and being patient.

Have you noticed how much longer everything takes to dry this time of year? Laundry on the line counts.

As the season starts winding down, we’ve got a question for the farmers and ranchers out there:What’s the one chore you ...
10/02/2026

As the season starts winding down, we’ve got a question for the farmers and ranchers out there:

What’s the one chore you actually look forward to every year?

Maybe it’s that first cutting of spring. Maybe it’s irrigating on a quiet evening, stacking a barn full of fresh hay, turning animals out on pasture—or maybe your favorite part is when the last bale is finally put away and things slow down for a minute.

Every operation has that one job that just feels satisfying.

What’s yours? Tell us in the comments. 👇

Once the last cutting of the season is off, an alfalfa field doesn't just sit idle — it goes into dormancy.As temperatur...
09/30/2026

Once the last cutting of the season is off, an alfalfa field doesn't just sit idle — it goes into dormancy.

As temperatures drop, the plant stops active growth above ground and redirects energy into its root system, storing up reserves it'll need to come back strong in spring. That's part of why farmers stop cutting well before the first hard freeze — cutting too late doesn't give the plant time to store what it needs for winter.

The growing season may be wrapping up, but the field is still doing important work underground.

Did you know alfalfa actually "rests" over winter instead of just stopping?

Every acre still in hay production is an acre that's still open space, still farmed, still part of this region's agricul...
09/29/2026

Every acre still in hay production is an acre that's still open space, still farmed, still part of this region's agricultural identity.

Family farms like ours are part of what keeps land in the Four Corners working land instead of something else. That matters for the character of this area — for wildlife, for water tables, for the rural way of life a lot of us grew up with.

Agriculture isn't just an industry here — it's part of what makes this place feel like home.

What does keeping land in agriculture mean to you?

Growing quality alfalfa in the high desert isn't automatic — it starts with the soil.Much of the Four Corners region sit...
09/25/2026

Growing quality alfalfa in the high desert isn't automatic — it starts with the soil.

Much of the Four Corners region sits on tighter, mineral-heavy soil that can be less forgiving than the deep, loamy ground found in wetter climates. That means careful attention to soil health — organic matter, drainage, nutrient balance — matters even more here than in easier growing regions.

Good hay doesn't start with the first cutting. It starts with what's happening underground long before the field ever gets planted.

Anyone else work with soil that keeps you on your toes?

Alfalfa fields aren't just about the plant you see growing — they're part of a bigger picture that includes pollinators ...
09/22/2026

Alfalfa fields aren't just about the plant you see growing — they're part of a bigger picture that includes pollinators like bees.

Healthy alfalfa stands can support pollinator activity, especially in blooming periods between cuttings, which plays a role in the broader ecosystem around a farm, not just the crop itself.

It's one more reason responsible field management matters beyond just this season's hay.

Do you notice more pollinator activity near hay fields where you live?

Fresh rain, a greener field, and a reminder to respect the water. 🌱Our part of San Juan County has had several rounds of...
09/21/2026

Fresh rain, a greener field, and a reminder to respect the water. 🌱

Our part of San Juan County has had several rounds of heavy rain this week. Some of it came fast, and we know it caused flooding and road closures for a lot of our neighbors. We're thinking of everyone dealing with the aftermath.

On the farm, the alfalfa has soaked it up and is looking healthy. If the weather cooperates, we're hoping to cut again within about two weeks.

Rain during the growing stage helps the plant. Rain after hay is cut and on the ground can hurt quality. That's why we watch the forecast so closely before we cut.

Farmers are always weighing what the weather gives us against what it takes away.

How did the rain treat your place this week? Stay safe out there.

Not all hay fields get watered the same way — and the method matters.Pivot irrigation (the big rotating sprinkler system...
09/19/2026

Not all hay fields get watered the same way — and the method matters.

Pivot irrigation (the big rotating sprinkler systems you've probably seen from the road) applies water evenly and efficiently across a field, which helps conserve water compared to older flood-irrigation methods that rely on gravity to move water across open ground.

In a region where water is a valuable resource, how a field gets irrigated is just as important as how often.

Do you know which irrigation method is used on the fields near you?

Address

337 Road 5500
Bloomfield, NM
87413

Telephone

+15054026703

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Cloer Family Farm posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Cloer Family Farm:

Shortcuts

Share

Category