town in Indiana
Honey bee forage in St. Joe, Indiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 51% of sites in Indiana. Against other Indiana sites it stands out most in fall (85th percentile) and lowest in summer (42nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi N).
When is the honey flow in St. Joe?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of St. Joe, 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): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion; 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 945 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 195 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 5 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 St. Joe
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest; Northern & Central Ruderal Meadow.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi E.
How St. Joe ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 90th | 66th | 91st | 46th |
| Indiana | 51st | 64th | 42nd | 85th |
| Eastern Corn Belt Plains | 30th | 74th | 27th | 84th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 44% 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 St. Joe: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Spencerville 3 mi · Butler 8 mi · Grabill 8 mi · Harlan 8 mi · Auburn 9 mi · Leo-Cedarville 9 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 St. Joe (41.3147, -84.9011); 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.