community in Maine
Honey bee forage in Fort Fairfield, Maine
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Maine. Against other Maine sites it stands out most in summer and fall (99th percentile) and lowest in spring (48th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); clover and wildflowers (nearest 0.6 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Fort Fairfield?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 15, peaking early Jun (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 30 (alfalfa, clover/Wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Fort Fairfield, 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 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, clover/Wildflowers, summer-flowering shrubs; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, clover/Wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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
- Alfalfa: about 425 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi S, blooms early Jul – late Sep (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Clover and wildflowers: about 18 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi N, blooms late May – late Oct (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 Fort Fairfield
Mostly: Unmapped; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Potatoes.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N.
How Fort Fairfield ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 50th | 78th | 95th |
| Maine | 99th | 48th | 99th | 99th |
| Acadian Plains and Hills | 99th | 51st | 99th | 98th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 46% 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 Fort Fairfield: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Caribou 7 mi · Presque Isle 9 mi · Limestone 10 mi · Washburn 15 mi · Mapleton 16 mi · Mars Hill 17 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 Fort Fairfield (46.7671, -67.8319); 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.