By Mary O’KEEFE

I was going through some old photos of my family the other day. These photos go back to the Civil War and included the tin-type pictures of my great-grandfather, a photo of my grandma in the 1940s, WWII photos of my uncles and many more. I am so grateful that I have these photos and that I can share them with my grandkids. I’ll  share the stories that go with these photos while we are having afternoon tea – just like my grandma did with me. 

As I was going through an old Fannie Farmer candy box and I found the cover of a copy of The Old Farmer’s Almanac. It was faded so I couldn’t even tell the date and it was only the front cover. I don’t know why it was in a box full of photos but it got me thinking about this publication. 

The Old Farmer’s Almanac was like the Google of days gone by. I remember my grandma reading it and hearing farmers talk about what was in it for the year. Conversations always started with “Well, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.”

This publication was first published during George Washington’s first term as president, 1782, and is still being published. Its first editor was Robert B. Thomas.

There were other almanacs at the time but The Old Farmer’s Almanac really took off and by the second year circulation had grown from 3,000 to 9,000. The Almanac back then cost about 9 cents. 

“An almanac, by definition, records and predicts astronomical events (the rising and setting of the Sun, for instance), tides, weather and other phenomena with respect to time,” according to almanac.com.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac may have found its success because of Thomas’ astronomical and weather predictions were more accurate than other almanacs at the time, the advice was more useful and the features more entertaining, surmised almanac.com.

“Based on his observations, Thomas used a complex series of natural cycles to devise a secret weather forecasting formula, which brought uncannily accurate results, traditionally said to be 80% accurate. Thomas’ last edition, in 1846, was not much different from his first over 50 years earlier. However, in that time he established The Old Farmer’s Almanac as America’s leading periodical by outselling and outlasting the competition. He died in 1846 at the age of 80, supposedly reading page proofs for the 1847 edition,” according to almanac.com.

After Thomas’ passing, John H. Jenks took over as the new editor. Apparently Thomas still had a hand in the Almanac because he had already calculated the astronomical material for several future editions. The “old” was dropped by Thomas in 1829. Jenks made the change permanent. 

Maybe this publication has lasted so long because it honors tradition as it moves forward. 

In 1851 Jenks featured a four seasons drawing on the cover by artist Henry Nichols. This drawing has been on the cover of every edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac ever since, according to almanac.com.

This doesn’t mean it has been a complete success. In 1938 the circulation was 88,000, compared to 225,000 in 1863. And in 1936 the newly appointed editor, Roger Scaife, decided this would be a good time to take out the weather forecast … obviously he did not know his audience. 

“The public outcry was so great that he reinstated the forecasts in the next year’s edition, but it was too late to save his reputation,” according to the almanac.com.

In 1939 editor Robb Sagendorph brought back the “old” in the title. He also brought back a more nostalgic feel of the publication, paying tribute to Thomas. 

You always hear about the “American spirit” or the “American way” especially in old WWII movies. The spies are always tripped up because they didn’t know who “the Bambino” was. Well these German spies apparently also knew where to get the most accurate weather information. 

“In 1942, a German spy was apprehended by the FBI after [landing on] Long Island, New York [in] a U-boat the night before. The impact of this event was felt all the way to Dublin, New Hampshire because The Old Farmer’s Almanac was found in his coat pocket. The U.S. government speculated that the Germans were using the Almanac for weather forecasts, which meant that the book was indirectly supplying information to the enemy,” according to the almanac.com.

This did cause some change in the publication in an agreement with the government to only feature weather “indications rather than forecasts” and thereby avoiding being charged with violation of the Code of Wartime Practices for the American Press.

In 2000 Janice Stillman became the 13th editor and its first female editor. In 2023 Carol Connare took over the reins. 

The Old Farmer’s Almanac 2025 has a variety of articles including how the changing climate is affecting farmers and an article titled “Tune In to the Moon” for gardening. It also had 2025 trends that include “fun facts and fascinating forecasts defining today and describing tomorrow.” This has quick information about the average costs of an acre of land in Iowa, information on beekeepers and the trends of farmers. 

I just ordered my free “how to start a garden” from The Old Farmer’s Almanac. With so many changes happening quickly – not just in the environment but in the U.S. – there’s something comforting about seeing this cover that has been around for 174 years. 

Here is the indication/forecast from almanac.com for Burbank, the closest it gets to the CV area. Today will be rain, heavy at times, with potential flooding rains. The high will be 53 degrees Fahrenheit, winds from the south at 10 to 20 mph. The chance of rain is 100% and there is an expectation we will get two-to-three inches. Rain will continue tonight and into Friday morning “becoming more intermittent” in the afternoon. Winds will be west/southwest at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain on Friday morning is 50%. Friday night and Saturday will be partly cloudy; however, there is no rain predicted. 

NOAA has a similar forecast with a Flash Flood Watch in effect in our area, including the burn area, from Feb. 13 at 1 p.m. to Feb. 14 at 4 a.m. Sunday should see patchy fog and mostly cloudy but no rain. 

For more information about The Old Farmer’s Almanac go to www.almanac.com. The publication can be found for purchase in a variety of places including Ace Hardware, Target and numerous bookstores. It can also be ordered online.