city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Barnard, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 66% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in summer (76th percentile) and lowest in spring (31st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Barnard?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Barnard, 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): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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 124 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Barnard
Mostly: Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie; Winter Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.14 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.26 mi E.
How Barnard ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 44th | 86th | 50th |
| Kansas | 66th | 31st | 76th | 48th |
| Central Great Plains | 78th | 37th | 79th | 49th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 30% 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 Barnard: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ada 9 mi · Lincoln Center 11 mi · Beverly 13 mi · Simpson 15 mi · Tescott 15 mi · Asherville 16 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 Barnard (39.1892, -98.0443); 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.