community in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Goochland, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 61% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (70th percentile) and lowest in fall (42nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Goochland?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Goochland, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra 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
- Soybeans: about 86 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SW, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 66 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SW, blooms early Jun – early Jul (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 Goochland
Mostly: Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.15 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.18 mi W.
How Goochland ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 59th | 79th | 55th | 25th |
| Virginia | 61st | 53rd | 70th | 42nd |
| Piedmont | 61st | 43rd | 87th | 89th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 68% 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 Goochland: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Powhatan 10 mi · Columbia 15 mi · Short Pump 15 mi · Wyndham 16 mi · Innsbrook 18 mi · Tuckahoe 18 mi
All towns in Virginia · 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 Goochland (37.6879, -77.8981); 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.