city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Golden Valley, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 26% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (90th percentile) and lowest in summer (22nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.7 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 1.8 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Golden Valley?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, sunflower)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Golden Valley, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, sunflower, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, sunflower; 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
- Sunflower: about 93 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 152 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 55 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi NE, blooms late Jun – early Aug (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 Golden Valley
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Alfalfa; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.12 mi S.
How Golden Valley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 43rd | 82nd | 97th |
| North Dakota | 26th | 90th | 22nd | 52nd |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 91st | 94th | 87th | 94th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 39% 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 Golden Valley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dodge 7 mi · Zap 7 mi · Halliday 14 mi · Beulah 14 mi · Hazen 21 mi · Dunn Center 26 mi
All towns in North Dakota · 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 Golden Valley (47.2903, -102.0653); 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.