From staff reports Farmers’ Almanac editor Sandi Duncan last week discussed the content of the over two-century-year-old publication.
Duncan calls the almanac a calendar of curiosities, weather forecasts, gardening and fishing: a combination of calendar, book, and magazine that is both entertaining and factual.
“We call it a publication that comes out yearly, but it is also a brand,” she said. “Over the years, we have tried to give people information that helps them plan their days and grow their lives. It really is something that you could pick up every single day and learn something new.”
The publication began in 1818 when technology and publications were scarce, but farmers were not. In those times, farmers used it to identify weather patterns and to project sunrise/sunset times. The almanac later expanded its appeal, seeking backyard gardeners.
“We have a Gardening by the Moon Calendar that people look forward to,” Duncan said. “We also have a Frost Calendar showing average frost dates, and obviously, our long-range weather forecast, where we try to give people an idea of what may come in the next four seasons ahead.”
The almanac uses a revised version of its original weather predicting formula from 1818.
“It is a mathematical and astronomical formula,” Duncan said. “Our founding editor came up with it and was able to come up with a set of rules and followed celestial things in the sky with meteorological events. It looks at things like sunspot activity, tidal action of the moon, and position of the planets. While we have altered the formula somewhat over the years, we still pretty much follow his formula. Obviously, we bow to Mother Nature. She is still unraveling her mysteries, and we don’t claim, by any means, 100% accuracy, but we do have about an 80% to 85% accuracy rate.”
The Almanac also includes astrological events such as meteor showers, full moons and appearances of planets. Duncan shared, “An interesting thing about next year is we may see a red moon in March 2025 because there will be a lunar eclipse.”
The 2025 Farmers’ Almanac should be available in bookstores, newsstands, grocery stores, Tractor Supply Stores and online at farmersalmanac.com.