city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Chatfield, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 61% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in spring (85th percentile) and lowest in summer (51st). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Chatfield?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Chatfield, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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, alfalfa, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, alfalfa; 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
- Corn: about 468 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NE, blooms late Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 55 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Sep (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 Chatfield
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.26 mi NE; open water 0.26 mi NE.
How Chatfield ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 70th | 85th | 80th |
| Minnesota | 61st | 85th | 51st | 70th |
| Driftless Area | 80th | 96th | 51st | 98th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 51% 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 Chatfield: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fountain 7 mi · Dover 9 mi · Eyota 10 mi · Wykoff 10 mi · St. Charles 11 mi · Marion 11 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 Chatfield (43.8445, -92.1829); 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.