city in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Alma, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 10% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it ranks highest in fall (43rd percentile) and lowest in summer (18th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.8 mi NE, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Alma?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking early May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Alma, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 47 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 92 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 42 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SE, blooms late Jun – 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 Alma
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Open water; North-Central Interior Floodplain Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.08 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi SE.
How Alma ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 45th | 53rd | 63rd | 60th |
| Wisconsin | 10th | 41st | 18th | 43rd |
| Driftless Area | 1st | 49th | 2nd | 23rd |
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 Alma: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Nelson 7 mi · Buffalo City 8 mi · Cochrane 9 mi · Waumandee 11 mi · Pepin 13 mi · Gilmanton 16 mi
All towns in Wisconsin · 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 Alma (44.3398, -91.9185); 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.