town in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Fairview, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 61% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (87th percentile) and lowest in fall (15th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Fairview?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Fairview, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 4,319 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 106 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Jun – late 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 Fairview
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.15 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi N.
How Fairview ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 83rd | 46th | 89th | 61st |
| South Dakota | 61st | 87th | 60th | 15th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 7th | 80th | 11th | 83rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 34% 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 Fairview: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hudson 7 mi · Canton 7 mi · Alcester 15 mi · Worthing 16 mi · Beresford 18 mi · Harrisburg 19 mi
All towns in South 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 Fairview (43.222, -96.4874); 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.