city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Castana, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 16% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in spring and fall (72nd percentile) and lowest in summer (22nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi SW).
When is the honey flow in Castana?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Castana, 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 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 2,692 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 127 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Castana
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.26 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.29 mi NW.
How Castana ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 48th | 89th | 49th |
| Iowa | 16th | 72nd | 22nd | 72nd |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 9th | 82nd | 13th | 66th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 34% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Castana: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Turin 5 mi · Mapleton 9 mi · Soldier 9 mi · Rodney 9 mi · Onawa 10 mi · Ute 11 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 Castana (42.0734, -95.9104); 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.