city in Indiana
Honey bee forage in Greencastle, Indiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 23% of sites in Indiana. Against other Indiana sites it stands out most in fall (93rd percentile) and lowest in summer (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.7 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Greencastle?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Greencastle, 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 25.
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, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, 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
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, garden flowers; 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 186 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 100 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi S, 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 Greencastle
Mostly: South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.02 mi S; open water 0.02 mi S.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 82% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Greencastle ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 83rd | 86th | 80th | 56th |
| Indiana | 23rd | 86th | 19th | 93rd |
| Eastern Corn Belt Plains | 7th | 91st | 9th | 91st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 31% 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 Greencastle: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Putnamville 5 mi · Fillmore 5 mi · Van Bibber Lake 7 mi · Bainbridge 8 mi · Cloverdale 9 mi · Heritage Lake 10 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 Greencastle (39.6418, -86.8463); 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.