city in Nebraska
Honey bee forage in Fairbury, Nebraska
Estimated forage here is better than about 76% of sites in Nebraska. Against other Nebraska sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (49th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.7 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.7 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Fairbury?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Fairbury, 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 Apr 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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 2,347 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 1,763 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Fairbury
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; Central Tallgrass Prairie.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.48 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.49 mi E.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 65% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Fairbury ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 86th | 81st | 85th | 71st |
| Nebraska | 76th | 100th | 60th | 49th |
| Central Great Plains | 90th | 93rd | 76th | 81st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 32% 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 Fairbury: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Jansen 6 mi · Endicott 6 mi · Reynolds 10 mi · Steele City 11 mi · Harbine 11 mi · Gilead 13 mi
All towns in Nebraska · 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 Fairbury (40.1447, -97.1765); 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.