community in New Jersey
Honey bee forage in Cookstown, New Jersey
Estimated forage here is better than about 39% of sites in New Jersey. Against other New Jersey sites it stands out most in summer (82nd percentile) and lowest in spring (14th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cookstown?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (soybeans, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cookstown, 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): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; 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 37 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early 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 Cookstown
Mostly: Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Pitch Pine Lowland; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Hardwood Forest; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Pitch Pine Barrens.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.19 mi SE.
How Cookstown ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 57th | 54th | 74th | 54th |
| New Jersey | 39th | 14th | 82nd | 31st |
| Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens | 38th | 18th | 80th | 27th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 55% 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 Cookstown: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
New Egypt 2 mi · McGuire AFB 2 mi · Fort Dix 4 mi · Wrightstown 5 mi · Browns Mills 5 mi · Cream Ridge 6 mi
All towns in New Jersey · 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 Cookstown (40.0437, -74.5477); 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.