''Farmers' Almanac'' is an annual American
periodical
A periodical literature (also called a periodical publication or simply a periodical) is a published work that appears in a new edition on a regular schedule. The most familiar example is a newspaper, but a magazine or a journal are also examples ...
that has been in continuous publication since 1818. Published by Geiger of
Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston (; ; officially the City of Lewiston, Maine) is List of cities in Maine, the second largest city in Maine and the most central city in Androscoggin County, Maine, Androscoggin County. The city lies halfway between Augusta, Maine, August ...
, the ''Farmers' Almanac'' provides long-range
weather predictions for both the U.S. and Canada. The periodical also provides calendars and articles on topics such as
full moon
The full moon is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective. This occurs when Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon (when the ecliptic coordinate system, ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon opp ...
dates, folklore, natural remedies, and the best days to do various outdoor activities.
Each new year’s edition is released at the end of August of the previous year and contains 16 months of weather predictions broken into 7 zones for the
continental U.S., as well as seasonal weather maps for the winter and summer ahead.
In addition to the U.S. version, there is a Canadian ''Farmers' Almanac'', an abbreviated "Special Edition" sold at
Dollar General stores, and a Promotional Version that is sold to businesses as a marketing and public relations tool.
History
Founded in 1818, the ''Farmers’ Almanac'' mixes a blend of long-range weather predictions, humor, fun facts, and advice on gardening, cooking, fishing, conservation, and other topics.
The ''Farmers’ Almanac'' has had seven editors. Poet, astronomer, and teacher David Young held the post for 34 years starting from when he and publisher Jacob Mann first founded The Almanac Publishing Company in Morristown, New Jersey. Following Young’s death in 1852, astronomer Samuel Hart Wright became editor.
In 1933, Ray Geiger took over as the sixth editor of the ''Farmers’ Almanac'' and began what became the longest-running editorship in ''Farmers’ Almanac'' history.
In 1994, Ray's son Peter became editor. Sandi Duncan is now Managing Editor with him. Sandi was the first female editor in 178 years to hold an editorial position.
In 1997, an online version was created at FarmersAlmanac.com. The Almanac has over 1.2 million followers on Facebook, and is also on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tik Tok and other social media sites.
Weather prediction
![Farmers 1818](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Farmers_1818.jpg)
Predictions for each edition are made as far as two years in advance. The U.S. retail edition of the ''Farmers' Almanac'' contains weather predictions for 7 U.S. climatic zones, defined by the publishers, in the continental United States, broken into 3-day intervals. Seasonal maps and summaries for each season are also shared in each new edition, as are forecasts for annual sporting events. Predictions cover 16 months, from the previous September (through December of the publication year).
The ''Farmers' Almanac'' will only state publicly that their method is an "exclusive mathematical and astronomical formula, that relies on sunspot activity, tidal action, planetary position (
astrology
Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of Celestial o ...
) and many other factors". The Almanac's forecaster is referred to by the pseudonym Caleb Weatherbee. According to the publishers, the true identity of the forecaster is kept secret to prevent them from being "badgered".
Accuracy
Publishers claim that "many longtime Almanac followers claim that their forecasts are 80% to 85% accurate" on their website. Their website also contains a list of the many more "famous" weather predictions they have accurately forewarned of and like to point out that they have been predicting the weather longer than the National Weather Service.
Most scientific analyses of the accuracy of ''Farmers' Almanac'' forecasts have shown a 50% rate of accuracy, which is higher than that of
groundhog prognostication, a folklore method of forecasting.
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
states that "according to numerous media analyses neither the Old Farmer's Almanac nor the Farmers' Almanac gets it right".
Notable articles
Most editions of the ''Farmers' Almanac'' include a "human crusade," advocating for a change in some accepted social practice or
custom
Custom, customary, or consuetudinary may refer to:
Traditions, laws, and religion
* Convention (norm), a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted rules, norms, standards or criteria, often taking the form of a custom
* Norm (social), a r ...
. Previous crusades have included: "How Much Daylight Are We Really Saving," a recommendation for a revised
Daylight Saving Time
Daylight saving time (DST), also referred to as daylight savings time or simply daylight time (United States, Canada, and Australia), and summer time (United Kingdom, European Union, and others), is the practice of advancing clocks (typicall ...
schedule (2007); "Why is Good Service So Hard to Schedule," recommending that service providers offer more specific timeframes when scheduling home visits (2006); "A Kinder, Gentler Nation," urging readers to exercise more common
courtesy
Courtesy (from the word ''courteis'', from the 12th century) is gentle politeness and courtly manners. In the Middle Ages in Europe, the behaviour expected of the nobility was compiled in courtesy books.
History
The apex of European courtly c ...
(2003); "Saturday: The Trick to Making Halloween a Real Treat," advocating that the observance of
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
be moved to the last Saturday in October (1999); "A Cure for Doctors' Office Delays," demanding more prompt medical service and calling for a "Patients' Bill of Rights" (1996); and "Pennies Make No Sense," which sought to eliminate the
penny
A penny is a coin ( pennies) or a unit of currency (pl. pence) in various countries. Borrowed from the Carolingian denarius (hence its former abbreviation d.), it is usually the smallest denomination within a currency system. Presently, it is t ...
, and to permanently replace the
dollar bill with less costly-to-produce
dollar coins (1989).
Other pieces that have attracted attention over the years include:
* ''Farmers' Almanac''s 2010 list of the "5 Worst Weather Cities", which elicited a call for retraction from syracuse.com after naming
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffa ...
, the worst winter weather city.
* The 2014 Winter Outlook, which called for a winter storm to hit just about the time
Super Bowl XLVIII
Super Bowl XLVIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos and National Football Conference (NFC) champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for th ...
was to be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey (no such storm materialized, and the weather was actually warmer than average at the time of the event).
However, a major winter storm did strike the area the day after the game.
* The 2001 campaign to name an official National
Dessert
Dessert is a course (food), course that concludes a meal. The course consists of sweet foods, such as confections, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. In some parts of the world, such as much of Greece and West Africa, and ...
(readers resoundingly responded in favor of traditional
apple pie
An apple pie is a fruit pie in which the principal filling ingredient is apples. The earliest printed recipe is from England. Apple pie is often served with whipped cream, ice cream ("apple pie à la mode"), or cheddar cheese. It is generally ...
).
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Almanacs
Weather lore
Publications established in 1818
Books about meteorology