city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Rockford, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 54% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in spring (89th percentile) and lowest in summer (47th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.7 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.7 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Rockford?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rockford, 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): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Soybeans: about 68 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 547 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi N, 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 Rockford
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior Maple-Basswood Forest; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.22 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.39 mi S.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 56% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Rockford ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 81st | 73rd | 82nd | 78th |
| Minnesota | 54th | 89th | 47th | 67th |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 72nd | 88th | 48th | 56th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 47% 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 Rockford: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Greenfield 3 mi · Delano 4 mi · Independence 5 mi · Loretto 6 mi · Hanover 6 mi · Maple Plain 7 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 Rockford (45.0908, -93.7452); 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.