village in Nebraska
Honey bee forage in Ragan, Nebraska
Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in Nebraska. Against other Nebraska sites it stands out most in summer (77th percentile) and lowest in fall (25th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ragan?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ragan, 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 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
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 14,805 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 1,288 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi N, blooms early Jun – late 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 Ragan
Mostly: Corn; Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.28 mi SE.
How Ragan ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 36th | 93rd | 38th |
| Nebraska | 80th | 46th | 77th | 25th |
| Central Great Plains | 92nd | 22nd | 91st | 37th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Ragan: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Huntley 7 mi · Wilcox 7 mi · Holdrege 10 mi · Atlanta 10 mi · Funk 11 mi · Hildreth 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 Ragan (40.3108, -99.2896); 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.