city in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Rocky Ford, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 100% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (35th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi NW); corn (nearest 1.0 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 1.2 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Rocky Ford?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jun (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rocky Ford, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers, dandelion; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
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 1,345 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 5 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 Rocky Ford
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Alfalfa; Western Great Plains Floodplain Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.51 mi W.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 61% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Pumpkins: insecticides used on about 75% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Rocky Ford ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 85th | 81st | 64th |
| Colorado | 100th | 100th | 92nd | 35th |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 100th | 99th | 99th | 30th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Rocky Ford: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Swink 6 mi · Manzanola 9 mi · La Junta Gardens 10 mi · La Junta 11 mi · North La Junta 11 mi · Ordway 12 mi
All towns in Colorado · 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 Rocky Ford (38.0499, -103.7221); 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.