town in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Oacoma, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 3% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (52nd percentile) and lowest in summer (2nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 2.0 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.0 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 2.6 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Oacoma?
- First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Sep 30, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Oct 16 to Oct 31 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Oacoma, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Soybeans: about 68 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 290 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.6 mi SE, blooms early Jul – 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 Oacoma
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Open water; Western Great Plains Dry Bur Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.16 mi SE.
How Oacoma ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 19th | 34th | 42nd | 72nd |
| South Dakota | 3rd | 52nd | 2nd | 26th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 14th | 74th | 7th | 9th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 54% 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 Oacoma: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Chamberlain 2 mi · Pukwana 9 mi · Reliance 13 mi · Ola 16 mi · Fort Thompson 17 mi · Kimball 21 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 Oacoma (43.8045, -99.3661); 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.