city in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Jefferson, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 93% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in summer (93rd percentile) and lowest in fall (2nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.3 mi SE).
When is the honey flow in Jefferson?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Jefferson, 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 4.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Corn: about 6,336 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 4,705 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, 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 Jefferson
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; Central Tallgrass Prairie.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.45 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.52 mi SE.
How Jefferson ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 96th | 36th | 97th | 30th |
| South Dakota | 93rd | 62nd | 93rd | 2nd |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 85th | 70th | 65th | 44th |
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 Jefferson: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
North Sioux City 6 mi · Elk Point 8 mi · Dakota Dunes 9 mi · Richland 12 mi · Burbank 17 mi · Vermillion 22 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 Jefferson (42.6043, -96.5661); 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.