town in Washington
Honey bee forage in Garfield, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 38% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in summer (70th percentile) and lowest in spring (32nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: lentils (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); chickpeas (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Garfield?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (lentils, canola, chick Peas)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Garfield, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): canola, dandelion, lentils, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): lentils, chick Peas, canola, alfalfa; 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, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): lentils, canola, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Lentils: about 713 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 30 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi S, blooms early May – late Jul (grown 2 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 Garfield
Mostly: Winter Wheat; Lentils; Spring Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.32 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.37 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Lots of crops with little or no bee value. About 58% of the land within 3 miles is in crops bees get little from (such as wheat and other grains).
How Garfield ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 69th | 48th | 83rd | 46th |
| Washington | 38th | 32nd | 70th | 40th |
| Columbia Plateau | 78th | 49th | 90th | 13th |
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 Garfield: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Farmington 7 mi · Palouse 8 mi · Oakesdale 10 mi · Steptoe 10 mi · Colfax 11 mi · Tekoa 15 mi
All towns in Washington · National map · How the scoring works
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 Garfield (47.0102, -117.1395); 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.