city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Grinnell, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 51% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (61st percentile) and lowest in fall (40th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi E); sunflower (nearest 1.6 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Grinnell?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (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 Grinnell, 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): 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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
- Corn: about 2,179 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Sunflower: about 48 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi S, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 33 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, 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 Grinnell
Mostly: Winter Wheat; Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Fallow / idle cropland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.72 mi E; open water 1.08 mi SW.
How Grinnell ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 60th | 55th | 76th | 43rd |
| Kansas | 51st | 61st | 54th | 40th |
| High Plains | 82nd | 75th | 78th | 33rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Grinnell: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Grainfield 9 mi · Oakley 11 mi · Gove City 14 mi · Park 14 mi · Menlo 17 mi · Hoxie 19 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 Grinnell (39.1266, -100.6311); 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.