A 208-year-old publication that farmers, gardeners and others keen to predict the weather have relied on for guidance has published for the final time. Farmers’ Almanac said Thursday that its 2026 edition, which is already available, will be its last, citing the growing financial challenges of producing and distributing the book in today’s “chaotic media environment.” Access to the online version will cease next month.The Maine-based publication, not to be confused with the even older Old Farmer’s Almanac in neighboring New Hampshire, was first printed in 1818. For centuries, it’s used a secret formula based on sunspots, planetary positions and lunar cycles to generate long-range weather forecasts. The almanac also contains gardening tips, trivia, jokes and natural remedies, like catnip as a pain reliever or elderberry syrup as an immune booster. But its weather forecasts make the most headlines.A goodbye piece titled “A Fond Farewell” says, “The season we hoped would never come is here.”In the piece, Editor Sandi Duncan and Editor Emeritus Peter Geiger say, “We are incredibly proud of the legacy we leave behind and are filled with gratitude. We appreciate and thank our loyal readers, contributors, and partners who have supported us through the years. Though the Almanac will no longer be available in print or online, it lives on within you.”Separately, Duncan wrote, “It is with a heavy heart that we share the end of what has not only been an annual tradition in millions of homes and hearths for hundreds of years, but also a way of life, an inspiration for many who realize the wisdom of generations past is the key to the generations of the future.”In 2017, when Farmers’ Almanac reported a circulation of 2.1 million in North America, its editor said it was gaining new readers among people interested in where their food came from and who were growing fresh produce in home gardens.Many of these readers lived in cities, prompting the publication to feature skyscrapers as well as an old farmhouse on it final cover.
