city in Oregon
Honey bee forage in John Day, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 51% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in fall (70th percentile) and lowest in summer (49th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in John Day?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, maples, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of John Day, 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 May 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, maples; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, rubber rabbitbrush, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa; 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
- Alfalfa: about 22 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 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 John Day
Mostly: Columbia Plateau Steppe and Grassland; Columbia Plateau Western Juniper Woodland and Savanna; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.21 mi NE.
How John Day ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 53rd | 61st | 62nd | 76th |
| Oregon | 51st | 68th | 49th | 70th |
| Blue Mountains | 46th | 97th | 31st | 67th |
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 John Day: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Canyon City 2 mi · Mount Vernon 8 mi · Prairie City 13 mi · Seneca 20 mi · Long Creek 22 mi · Dayville 29 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 John Day (44.4181, -118.9563); 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.