city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Granite Falls, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 54% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in fall (78th percentile) and lowest in summer (50th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.7 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.7 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Granite Falls?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Granite Falls, 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, 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
- Corn: about 2,930 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NE, blooms late Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 427 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi NE, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 2 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 Granite Falls
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0 mi S; open water 0.02 mi N.
How Granite Falls ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 81st | 59th | 85th | 86th |
| Minnesota | 54th | 68th | 50th | 78th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 5th | 89th | 5th | 99th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 30% 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 Granite Falls: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Maynard 8 mi · Hanley Falls 9 mi · Hazel Run 9 mi · Sacred Heart 10 mi · Wood Lake 11 mi · Montevideo 13 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 Granite Falls (44.8073, -95.5423); 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.