village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Oakford, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 44% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in fall (80th percentile) and lowest in summer (37th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Oakford?
- 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 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Oakford, 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 24.
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
- 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, 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
- Soybeans: about 4,539 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 909 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi W, 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 Oakford
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.38 mi SE.
How Oakford ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 91st | 55th | 92nd | 42nd |
| Illinois | 44th | 69th | 37th | 80th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 60th | 44th | 58th | 80th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 32% 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 Oakford: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kilbourne 4 mi · Petersburg 9 mi · Lake Petersburg 10 mi · Chandlerville 11 mi · Tallula 11 mi · Easton 11 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 Oakford (40.1009, -89.9653); 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.