village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Cowden, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 49% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (81st percentile) and lowest in summer (34th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cowden?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cowden, 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 Apr 20.
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, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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
- Soybeans: about 2,716 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2,669 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Cowden
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.08 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.25 mi SW.
How Cowden ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 92nd | 66th | 91st | 38th |
| Illinois | 49th | 81st | 34th | 74th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 65th | 62nd | 54th | 73rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 33% 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 Cowden: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lakewood 6 mi · Beecher City 6 mi · Herrick 7 mi · Tower Hill 11 mi · Shelbyville 12 mi · Shumway 12 mi
All towns in Illinois · 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 Cowden (39.2492, -88.8594); 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.