city in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Barlow, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 78% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in spring (80th percentile) and lowest in fall (25th). Biggest nearby bee crops: clover and wildflowers (nearest 0.4 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Barlow?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 30, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, clover/Wildflowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Barlow, 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 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, clover/Wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, clover/Wildflowers, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, clover/Wildflowers; extra 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
- Clover and wildflowers: about 24 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi NW, blooms early Apr – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 31 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Dry beans: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 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 Barlow
Mostly: Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Other Tree Crops; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.44 mi E.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Sweet Corn: insecticides used on about 44% 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 Barlow ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 81st | 96th | 64th | 24th |
| Oregon | 78th | 80th | 52nd | 25th |
| Willamette Valley | 22nd | 24th | 22nd | 68th |
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 Barlow: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Canby 2 mi · Aurora 2 mi · Wilsonville 5 mi · Butteville 5 mi · Donald 6 mi · Hubbard 6 mi
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 Barlow (45.2524, -122.7223); 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.