village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Gorham, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 100% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (82nd percentile) and lowest in fall (52nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here); corn (nearest 0.3 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Gorham?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Gorham, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); amber
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 11,472 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late May – late Jul (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 90 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Jul (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 Gorham
Mostly: Soybeans; South-Central Interior Large Floodplain Forest; Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.25 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.28 mi SE.
How Gorham ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 99th | 68th | 98th | 21st |
| Illinois | 100th | 82nd | 78th | 52nd |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 100th | 64th | 94th | 42nd |
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 Gorham: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Grand Tower 5 mi · Murphysboro 9 mi · Harrison 10 mi · Ava 12 mi · Alto Pass 13 mi · Carbondale 14 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 Gorham (37.7179, -89.4779); 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.