city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Lakefield, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 95% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in summer (83rd percentile) and lowest in spring (56th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lakefield?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- 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 Lakefield, 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): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 2,850 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi S, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 5,804 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi E, blooms late Jul – early 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 Lakefield
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; Northern & Central Ruderal Meadow.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.33 mi S.
How Lakefield ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 96th | 48th | 95th | 74th |
| Minnesota | 95th | 56th | 83rd | 62nd |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 84th | 82nd | 42nd | 96th |
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 Lakefield: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Okabena 9 mi · Jackson 10 mi · Wilder 11 mi · Heron Lake 11 mi · Fish Lake 13 mi · Windom 14 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 Lakefield (43.678, -95.1695); 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.