city in Minnesota

Honey bee forage in La Prairie, Minnesota

Estimated forage here is better than about 45% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in spring (79th percentile) and lowest in summer (43rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi N); corn (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.0 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in La Prairie?

  • First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
  • Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
  • Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Season ends: Oct 15
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of La Prairie, 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 24.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Whole season (March to November): 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

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 26 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms late Jul – late Aug (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 La Prairie

Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Open water; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.

Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.15 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.22 mi E.

How La Prairie ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US76th66th78th82nd
Minnesota45th79th43rd73rd
Northern Lakes and Forests94th47th95th97th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 55% 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 La Prairie: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Grand Rapids 2 mi · Coleraine 3 mi · Bovey 6 mi · Taconite 8 mi · Cohasset 8 mi · Marble 12 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 La Prairie (47.23, -93.4914); 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.