city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Strathcona, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 64% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in fall (88th percentile) and lowest in summer (52nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Strathcona?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (soybeans, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Strathcona, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa; 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 1,524 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 176 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi N, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 82 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi E, blooms early Jul – late 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 Strathcona
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Alkaline Conifer-Hardwood Swamp; Eastern Great Plains Tallgrass Aspen Forest and Woodland; Northern & Central Ruderal Meadow.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.08 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi W.
How Strathcona ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 86th | 66th | 86th | 96th |
| Minnesota | 64th | 79th | 52nd | 88th |
| Lake Agassiz Plain | 28th | 98th | 10th | 33rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 55% 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 Strathcona: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Middle River 8 mi · Greenbush 10 mi · Strandquist 14 mi · Newfolden 16 mi · Karlstad 16 mi · Badger 17 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 Strathcona (48.5537, -96.167); 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.