The Old Farmer’s Almanac

I remember when I was a kid my Uncle talking about what The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicted the winter would be like. The summer, too, for that matter. I was always fascinated by the idea that people could get together and actually forecast the weather for the whole year ahead. The almanac also told farmers and gardeners when the best time would be to plant their vegetables and flowers according to the region they lived in.

The periodical contains much more, such as articles on sports, and also makes predictions on trends in food, fashion, and technology. Robert B. Thomas, the publication’s founder, studied solar activity, astronomy cycles, and weather patterns to make his predictions. To make it even more mysterious, very few people have ever seen the secret formula Thomas developed, which is kept in a black tin box at the Almanac offices in Dublin, New Hampshire.

Released the second Tuesday of every September for the next year, the almanac was first printed in 1792, making it the oldest continuously published reference book in the US. The cost of the first books was four cents. The Old Farmer’s Almanac online still has the same information they’ve offered for years and much more. Interested in birding? Or astronomy? Want to pick up a new recipe or find the best day to start a new project? All these topics of interest and more are included, which makes this one of the most interesting books and websites around.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Farmer’s_Almanac
http://www.almanac.com