community in Vermont
Honey bee forage in Canaan, Vermont
Estimated forage here is better than about 8% of sites in Vermont. Against other Vermont sites it stands out most in fall (81st percentile) and lowest in spring (4th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.1 mi S); soybeans (nearest 1.4 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Canaan?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 31, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Canaan, 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 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spring-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion; extra light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; 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 23 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi S, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 11 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi E, blooms early Jul – late Sep (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 Canaan
Mostly: Unmapped; Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Acadian Low-Elevation Spruce-Fir-Hardwood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.33 mi S; open water 0.33 mi S.
How Canaan ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 32nd | 46th | 58th | 50th |
| Vermont | 8th | 4th | 22nd | 81st |
| Northeastern Highlands | 25th | 12th | 42nd | 89th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 79% 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 Canaan: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Beecher Falls 2 mi · Island Pond 22 mi · Derby Line 28 mi · Derby Center 30 mi · West Burke 33 mi · Newport 34 mi
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 Canaan (45.0067, -71.5271); 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.