city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Badger, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 67% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in fall (91st percentile) and lowest in summer (56th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 0.9 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Badger?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (soybeans, canola)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Badger, 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 25.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, canola, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, 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 2,843 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 44 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi E, blooms late 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 Badger
Mostly: Soybeans; Eastern Great Plains Tallgrass Aspen Forest and Woodland; Northern & Central Ruderal Meadow.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.45 mi NW.
How Badger ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 57th | 87th | 98th |
| Minnesota | 67th | 66th | 56th | 91st |
| Lake Agassiz Plain | 33rd | 94th | 16th | 46th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 37% 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 Badger: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Greenbush 9 mi · Roseau 13 mi · Strathcona 17 mi · Middle River 24 mi · Karlstad 26 mi · Halma 27 mi
All towns in Minnesota · National map · How the scoring works
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 Badger (48.7768, -96.0213); 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.