village in New York
Honey bee forage in Barker, New York
Estimated forage here is better than about 95% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in summer (91st percentile) and lowest in fall (55th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Barker?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Barker, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa; 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
- Soybeans: about 214 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 1,746 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 54 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 4 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 Barker
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; North-Central Interior and Appalachian Rich Swamp; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.16 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.25 mi NW.
How Barker ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 78th | 80th | 56th |
| New York | 95th | 88th | 91st | 55th |
| Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands | 87th | 87th | 76th | 34th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 58% 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 Barker: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Newfane 8 mi · Lyndonville 8 mi · Olcott 8 mi · Middleport 9 mi · Gasport 10 mi · Medina 11 mi
All towns in New York · 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 Barker (43.3283, -78.5535); 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.