village in Wisconsin

Honey bee forage in North Freedom, Wisconsin

Estimated forage here is better than about 69% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it stands out most in summer (75th percentile) and lowest in spring (35th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in North Freedom?

  • First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
  • Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of North Freedom, 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), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
  • Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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 342 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Soybeans: about 205 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 North Freedom

Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Corn.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi S.

How North Freedom ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US78th49th86th59th
Wisconsin69th35th75th41st
Driftless Area54th41st60th20th

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 North Freedom: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Rock Springs 4 mi · West Baraboo 4 mi · Baraboo 6 mi · Bluffview 8 mi · Reedsburg 9 mi · Loganville 9 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 North Freedom (43.458, -89.8538); 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.