city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Starbuck, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 51% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in fall (75th percentile) and lowest in summer (50th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.7 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.7 mi NE); alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi S).
When is the honey flow in Starbuck?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Starbuck, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- 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): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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 712 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 564 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NE, blooms late Jul – late 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 Starbuck
Mostly: Corn; Open water; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.2 mi SE.
How Starbuck ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 55th | 85th | 84th |
| Minnesota | 51st | 64th | 50th | 75th |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 66th | 60th | 60th | 74th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 37% 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 Starbuck: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Long Beach 6 mi · Lowry 6 mi · Glenwood 8 mi · Cyrus 10 mi · Farwell 11 mi · Kensington 14 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 Starbuck (45.6116, -95.5322); 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.