city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Calmar, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 10% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in fall (87th percentile) and lowest in summer (18th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Calmar?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Calmar, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa; extra 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
- Corn: about 1,781 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 69 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, 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 Calmar
Mostly: Corn; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.31 mi N; open water 0.41 mi NW.
How Calmar ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 81st | 46th | 88th | 59th |
| Iowa | 10th | 70th | 18th | 87th |
| Driftless Area | 66th | 35th | 70th | 19th |
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 Calmar: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fort Atkinson 4 mi · Spillville 4 mi · Ossian 6 mi · St. Lucas 9 mi · Decorah 9 mi · Ridgeway 10 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 Calmar (43.1811, -91.868); 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.