town in Tennessee
Honey bee forage in Bradford, Tennessee
Estimated forage here is better than about 90% of sites in Tennessee. Against other Tennessee sites it stands out most in spring (95th percentile) and lowest in fall (8th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.1 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bradford?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking early Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bradford, 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 Apr 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), cotton; amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Soybeans: about 2,140 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi NW, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2,085 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early Jul (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 Bradford
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi N.
How Bradford ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 89th | 97th | 79th | 11th |
| Tennessee | 90th | 95th | 86th | 8th |
| Southeastern Plains | 98th | 97th | 96th | 50th |
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 Bradford: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Greenfield 6 mi · Dyer 10 mi · Trenton 10 mi · Rutherford 10 mi · Atwood 11 mi · Sharon 11 mi
All towns in Tennessee · 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 Bradford (36.0738, -88.8163); 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.