community in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Center Junction, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 37% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in spring (56th percentile) and lowest in summer (41st). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Center Junction?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Center Junction, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
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 15,357 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 101 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi W, 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 Center Junction
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; Northern & Central Ruderal Meadow.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.36 mi NW.
How Center Junction ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 89th | 32nd | 94th | 34th |
| Iowa | 37th | 56th | 41st | 52nd |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 29th | 65th | 33rd | 47th |
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 Center Junction: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Onslow 4 mi · Wyoming 6 mi · Olin 8 mi · Monticello 9 mi · Anamosa 9 mi · Morley 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 Center Junction (42.1141, -91.0903); 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.