city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Fort Ripley, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 34% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in spring (75th percentile) and lowest in summer (39th). Biggest nearby bee crops: dry beans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Fort Ripley?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Fort Ripley, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dry Beans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): dry Beans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; white, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; 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
- Dry beans: about 44 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi NW, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 68 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi W, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 33 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Ripley
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Northern & Central Ruderal Meadow.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.24 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.25 mi SW.
How Fort Ripley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 68th | 63rd | 75th | 73rd |
| Minnesota | 34th | 75th | 39th | 60th |
| Northern Lakes and Forests | 74th | 40th | 88th | 93rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 69% 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 Ripley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Randall 8 mi · Little Falls 13 mi · Pillager 13 mi · Baxter 13 mi · Brainerd 15 mi · East Gull Lake 16 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 Fort Ripley (46.1665, -94.365); 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.