city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Oak Grove, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 30% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in spring (76th percentile) and lowest in summer (33rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Oak Grove?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Oak Grove, 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); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 36 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi SE, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, 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 Oak Grove
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; North-Central Interior Dry Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.09 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.11 mi NW.
How Oak Grove ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 65th | 64th | 71st | 78th |
| Minnesota | 30th | 76th | 33rd | 68th |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 23rd | 77th | 20th | 57th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 60% 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 Oak Grove: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
St. Francis 5 mi · Bethel 5 mi · East Bethel 5 mi · Nowthen 6 mi · Andover 7 mi · Ramsey 9 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 Oak Grove (45.3484, -93.3273); 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.