city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Williams, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 47% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in fall (75th percentile) and lowest in summer (46th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 0.3 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Williams?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Williams, 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 26.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, canola, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 148 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 52 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi N, blooms late Jun – early Aug (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 Williams
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Alkaline Conifer-Hardwood Swamp; Boreal-Laurentian Conifer Acidic Swamp and Treed Poor Fen; Laurentian-Acadian Shrub Swamp.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi NW.
How Williams ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 62nd | 81st | 84th |
| Minnesota | 47th | 72nd | 46th | 75th |
| Northern Minnesota Wetlands | 84th | 72nd | 89th | 79th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 69% 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 Williams: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Roosevelt 7 mi · Baudette 17 mi · Warroad 20 mi · Roseau 37 mi · Angle Inlet 40 mi · Grygla 45 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 Williams (48.768, -94.9533); 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.