In 1818, a 37-year-old poet and astronomer by the name of David Young rolled up his sleeves and began the arduous task of typesetting the first copies of the Farmers’ Almanac in New York.
The 36-page copy fashioned in the “42nd Year of American Independence” contained “Lunations, Conjunctions, Eclipses, Judgement of the Weather” and the “Rising and Setting of the Planets,” among other topics.
Over the next two centuries, it became one of the best-selling publications in American history, offering planting guidance for farmers and gardeners, weather forecasts, astronomical charts, age-old practical advice – such as how to survive a fire – and even jokes.
But this week, the publication’s editors announced that the 2026 Farmers’ Almanac would be its final edition.
News of the decision to cease publishing was outlined in a statement posted online on Friday NZT, which noted that access to the website would be available until December.
“It is with a great appreciation and heartfelt emotions that we write to share some sad news,” editor Sandi Duncan and editor emeritus Peter Geiger wrote. “
After more than 200 years of sharing a unique blend of weather, wit and wisdom, we’ve made the very difficult decision to write the final chapter of this historical publication.”
The almanac’s staff attributed the decision to the “growing financial challenges of producing and distributing the Almanac in today’s chaotic media environment”.
The Maine-based publication is sometimes confused with the Old Farmer’s Almanac, its longer-established and more widely recognised competitor that first published in 1792. The Old Farmer’s Almanac said in a statement this week that it “isn’t going anywhere”.
From its first edition, the Farmers’ Almanac published continuously for 208 years, surviving the advent of daily newspapers, the National Weather Service in 1870, television, the internet, and social media.
Its use and popularity also wasn’t limited to farmers.
In 1857, by some accounts – though historical interpretations vary – the nation’s future president and self-taught lawyer Abraham Lincoln used a copy of the Farmers’ Almanac as evidence in court to clear his client of murder charges, discrediting a witness who said there was a full moon at 11pm on the night of the crime. The moon set at 11.57pm and was in its first quarter, Lincoln argued.
The publication’s heyday came under the tenure of its sixth editor, Raymond Geiger, whose company, the Geiger Brothers, took the helm of the almanac in 1934.
Under Geiger, who continued editing the almanac from overseas while serving in World War II, circulation grew from 86,000 in the 1930s to four million by 1994, the Washington Post reported. After Geiger’s death that year at the age of 83, his son Peter succeeded him as editor.
The Farmers’ Almanac was typically sold in bulk to banks, insurance companies and others who imprinted their names on them and gave them away. As the times changed, it was made available for purchase online and in retail stores.
It continued to give full-year weather forecasts (which it says are 85% accurate), gardening tips and tidbits about the moon, and later added its own social media accounts.
Despite its closure, its editors said the almanac, with its timeless advice doled out across two centuries, would continue to live beyond 2026.
“So go ahead – plant your peas when the daffodils bloom. Watch for a red sky at night. Tell the kids how granddad always swore by the Almanac,” they said. “That’s how our story stays alive.”
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