city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Medina, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 50% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in spring (86th percentile) and lowest in summer (45th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi SE).
When is the honey flow in Medina?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Medina, 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, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, 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
- Soybeans: about 35 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NE, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 47 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi N, blooms late Jul – early Aug (grown 5 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 Medina
Mostly: North-Central Interior Maple-Basswood Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior Freshwater Marsh.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.06 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi W.
How Medina ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 71st | 80th | 78th |
| Minnesota | 50th | 86th | 45th | 68th |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 63rd | 87th | 43rd | 58th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 67% 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 Medina: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Loretto 3 mi · Long Lake 4 mi · Maple Plain 5 mi · Corcoran 5 mi · Orono 5 mi · Wayzata 5 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 Medina (45.0345, -93.5756); 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.