community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Shepherd, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 86% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (96th percentile) and lowest in fall (34th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Shepherd?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Shepherd, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Alfalfa: about 159 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 126 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi S, blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 1 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 Shepherd
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Alfalfa.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi NW.
How Shepherd ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 64th | 48th | 78th | 77th |
| Montana | 86th | 96th | 76th | 34th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 85th | 97th | 83rd | 15th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 30% 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 Shepherd: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Huntley 4 mi · Lockwood 8 mi · Worden 9 mi · Ballantine 10 mi · Billings 15 mi · Nibbe 16 mi
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 Shepherd (45.9468, -108.3463); 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.