city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Madison, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in summer (84th percentile) and lowest in spring (57th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.4 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Madison?
- 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 Madison, 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, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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 7,426 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 5,287 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NE, blooms late Jul – early 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 Madison
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow-Prairie-Marsh.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.48 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.52 mi N.
How Madison ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 96th | 49th | 95th | 75th |
| Minnesota | 97th | 57th | 84th | 63rd |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 91st | 83rd | 45th | 97th |
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 Madison: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dawson 9 mi · Bellingham 10 mi · Louisburg 10 mi · Marietta 11 mi · Nassau 13 mi · Correll 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 Madison (45.0135, -96.1896); 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.