city in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Richland, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 62% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in summer (79th percentile) and lowest in fall (52nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi S).
When is the honey flow in Richland?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Richland, 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 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, yellow starthistle; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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 153 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NE, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 82 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Richland
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Columbia Basin Foothill and Canyon Dry Grassland; Columbia Plateau Steppe and Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.27 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.4 mi SE.
How Richland ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 64th | 46th | 80th | 64th |
| Oregon | 62nd | 60th | 79th | 52nd |
| Blue Mountains | 62nd | 76th | 58th | 34th |
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 Richland: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Halfway 8 mi · Huntington 29 mi · Baker City 33 mi · Wallowa Lake 37 mi · Annex 38 mi · Haines 39 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 Richland (44.7695, -117.1686); 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.