city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Richmond, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 45% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in fall (72nd percentile) and lowest in summer (49th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Richmond?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Richmond, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa; 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
- Corn: about 1,112 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi E, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 134 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 213 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SW, blooms late Jun – early Sep (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 Richmond
Mostly: Open water; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.42 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.49 mi SE.
How Richmond ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 50th | 84th | 81st |
| Minnesota | 45th | 58th | 49th | 72nd |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 51st | 49th | 55th | 68th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 32% 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 Richmond: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cold Spring 4 mi · Roscoe 6 mi · St. Martin 8 mi · Eden Valley 9 mi · Rockville 9 mi · St. John's University 10 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 Richmond (45.4545, -94.5136); 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.