city in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Vale, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 76% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in summer (89th percentile) and lowest in fall (55th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi NE); corn (nearest 0.7 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Vale?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Vale, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, weedy mustards; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, yellow starthistle; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, garden flowers, yellow starthistle, dandelion; light 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; 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 745 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 134 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi S, blooms early Jul – late 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 Vale
Mostly: Alfalfa; Great Basin & Intermountain Introduced Annual Grassland; Great Basin & Intermountain Introduced Annual and Biennial Forbland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.15 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.27 mi W.
How Vale ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 65th | 83rd | 67th |
| Oregon | 76th | 70th | 89th | 55th |
| Snake River Plain | 93rd | 95th | 86th | 22nd |
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 Vale: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ontario 13 mi · Nyssa 14 mi · Adrian 19 mi · Harper 21 mi · Annex 21 mi · Brogan 23 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 Vale (43.984, -117.2422); 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.