community in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Homestead, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 16% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in spring (89th percentile) and lowest in summer (13th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Homestead?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Homestead, 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 4.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 4,041 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 1,691 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi W, 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 Homestead
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Soybeans; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.22 mi NE.
How Homestead ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 68th | 86th | 60th |
| Iowa | 16th | 89th | 13th | 88th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 9th | 94th | 6th | 81st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 58% 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 Homestead: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Middle Amana 3 mi · Amana 3 mi · East Amana 3 mi · High Amana 5 mi · South Amana 5 mi · Oxford 5 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 Homestead (41.7612, -91.8711); 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.