village in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Union Center, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 69% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it stands out most in spring and fall (75th percentile) and lowest in summer (56th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi E).
When is the honey flow in Union Center?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Union 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, soybeans; 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
- Corn: about 25 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 21 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi E, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 32 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 3 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 Union Center
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.11 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.19 mi W.
How Union Center ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 68th | 81st | 73rd |
| Wisconsin | 69th | 75th | 56th | 75th |
| Driftless Area | 54th | 93rd | 33rd | 89th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 66% 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 Union Center: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wonewoc 3 mi · Hillsboro 4 mi · Elroy 4 mi · Kendall 9 mi · La Valle 10 mi · Ironton 11 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 Union Center (43.6826, -90.2633); 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.