town in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Lowry, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 38% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in fall (73rd percentile) and lowest in summer (39th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lowry?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lowry, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), soybeans; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra 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
- Alfalfa: about 136 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 583 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 606 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi SE, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Sunflower: about 10 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Lowry
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi N.
How Lowry ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 48th | 37th | 68th | 91st |
| South Dakota | 38th | 67th | 39th | 73rd |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 72nd | 85th | 71st | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 70% 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 Lowry: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Akaska 7 mi · Hoven 11 mi · Selby 13 mi · Java 14 mi · Bowdle 18 mi · Tolstoy 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 Lowry (45.3156, -99.9812); 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.