community in Vermont
Honey bee forage in Highgate Center, Vermont
Estimated forage here is better than about 40% of sites in Vermont. Against other Vermont sites it stands out most in fall (84th percentile) and lowest in spring (15th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Highgate Center?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Highgate Center, 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): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, soybeans; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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 402 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NE, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 24 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi N, blooms early Jul – early 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 Highgate Center
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Corn; Laurentian-Acadian Alkaline Conifer-Hardwood Swamp.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.13 mi SW; open water 0.13 mi SW.
How Highgate Center ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 50th | 55th | 68th | 52nd |
| Vermont | 40th | 15th | 79th | 84th |
| Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands | 14th | 22nd | 32nd | 25th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 50% 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 Highgate Center: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Swanton 4 mi · Highgate Springs 4 mi · St. Albans 9 mi · Enosburg Falls 12 mi · Alburgh 13 mi · Bakersfield 16 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 Highgate Center (44.9349, -73.0385); 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.