community in California
Honey bee forage in Challenge-Brownsville, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 50% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in spring (61st percentile) and lowest in fall (11th). Biggest nearby bee crops: grapes (nearest 3.2 mi E).
When is the honey flow in Challenge-Brownsville?
- First forage: Feb 1 (kinnikinnick, maples, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 15, peaking late Mar (kinnikinnick, snowberry, ceanothus: redstem)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Challenge-Brownsville, 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 Mar 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): snowberry, kinnikinnick, ceanothus: redstem, spring-flowering shrubs; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, kinnikinnick, ceanothus: redstem, summer-flowering shrubs; 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
- Grapes: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi E, blooms late Apr – late May
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 Challenge-Brownsville
Mostly: Mediterranean California Lower Montane Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.41 mi NW.
How Challenge-Brownsville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 51st | 88th | 13th | 2nd |
| California | 50th | 61st | 36th | 11th |
| Sierra Nevada | 71st | 81st | 8th | 7th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 91% 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 Challenge-Brownsville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Robinson Mill 3 mi · Forbestown 4 mi · Rackerby 6 mi · Clipper Mills 7 mi · Dobbins 8 mi · Bangor 10 mi
All towns in California · 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 Challenge-Brownsville (39.4646, -121.2632); 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.