city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Donnelly, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 76% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in fall (80th percentile) and lowest in spring (36th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 0.7 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Donnelly?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Donnelly, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Soybeans: about 2,127 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 311 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi S, blooms late Jul – late 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 Donnelly
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow-Prairie-Marsh.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.05 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.27 mi NW.
How Donnelly ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 90th | 30th | 92nd | 88th |
| Minnesota | 76th | 36th | 73rd | 80th |
| Northern Glaciated Plains | 25th | 60th | 33rd | 35th |
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 Donnelly: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Alberta 8 mi · Morris 9 mi · Herman 10 mi · Chokio 11 mi · Cyrus 14 mi · Hoffman 15 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 Donnelly (45.6893, -96.0143); 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.