city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Verndale, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 63% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in fall (90th percentile) and lowest in spring (49th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Verndale?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (soybeans, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Verndale, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- 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 1,156 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 703 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 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 Verndale
Mostly: Corn; North-Central Interior Freshwater Marsh; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.12 mi N.
How Verndale ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 86th | 42nd | 89th | 97th |
| Minnesota | 63rd | 49th | 60th | 90th |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 88th | 30th | 82nd | 97th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 33% 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 Verndale: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Aldrich 4 mi · Hewitt 6 mi · Wadena 6 mi · Bertha 9 mi · Staples 10 mi · Bluffton 12 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 Verndale (46.3969, -95.0122); 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.