community in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Harper, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 64% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in summer (94th percentile) and lowest in spring (41st). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); clover and wildflowers (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Harper?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, weedy mustards, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Aug (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Harper, 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 30.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, weedy mustards; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, yellow starthistle; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, 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 2,179 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 105 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi E, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 4 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 Harper
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Great Basin & Intermountain Ruderal Shrubland; Great Basin & Intermountain Introduced Annual Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.42 mi W.
How Harper ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 67th | 32nd | 85th | 67th |
| Oregon | 64th | 41st | 94th | 55th |
| Snake River Plain | 77th | 55th | 89th | 21st |
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 Harper: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Vale 21 mi · Juntura 24 mi · Brogan 28 mi · Adrian 29 mi · Nyssa 31 mi · Ontario 34 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 Harper (43.857, -117.6265); 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.