community in Indiana
Honey bee forage in Stanford, Indiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 10% of sites in Indiana. Against other Indiana sites it stands out most in spring (96th percentile) and lowest in summer (8th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Stanford?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Stanford, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 60 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 14 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 1 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 Stanford
Mostly: South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.48 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Apples: insecticides used on about 77% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Stanford ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 93rd | 61st | 44th |
| Indiana | 10th | 96th | 8th | 83rd |
| Interior Plateau | 57th | 73rd | 55th | 87th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 83% 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 Stanford: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Solsberry 5 mi · Harrodsburg 8 mi · Smithville-Sanders 9 mi · Bloomington 9 mi · Ellettsville 10 mi · Judah 11 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 Stanford (39.0921, -86.6646); 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.