“What Does the Almanac Mean to You?” This is a question that we often ask our readers. We thought that you would enjoy some of the answers—which are as delightful and inspiring to read as the pages of any book—and filled with age-old wisdom and humor. Perhaps you relate?
Our question to you, in full, is: “Briefly share an experience, story, memory, or moment involving the “little yellow book.” Why did you pick it up? What does it mean to you?”
Here are some of our favorite reader responses. As always, we would love to hear from you! We welcome your answer in the comments below.
Michele Lupe
What does The Old Farmer’s Almanac mean to me? Think bonny bell peppers and red juicy tomatoes. The frost on the pumpkin and a recipe to make soup out of it. Tales of old. Meaningful ways to darn a sock. Apple head dolls. Carefully and slowly turning the pages, looking for the winter forecast. When to plant or not? A good reliable friend, who tells it like it is, doesn’t flatter or tell lies, a straight shooter. Thank you for the reminders, and when I have forgotten, I check back to make sure … A need, a necessity … The Old Farmer’s Almanac … there for me!
Dimitri K
As a member of the millennial generation, I want to thank The Old Farmer’s Almanac for inspiring me and giving me an appreciation for how things used to be done. I love getting the upcoming year’s Old Farmer’s Almanac for Christmas. Flipping through the pages and reading what I should expect for the upcoming gardening season is always fun. I enjoy making notes in my Almanac with weather conditions next to the prediction, and it never ceases to amaze me at how often they match up. After reading the Almanac for the past few years, I have learned that sometimes the old ways were the best ways and that complicated problems oftentimes have rather simple solutions.
Camille Strate
All of my grandparents came to this country in the early part of the 20th century. None spoke any English when they arrived. My maternal grandfather, however, was determined to become an American citizen. He had no education to speak of (I was told he only went through the fifth grade), but he did not let that stop him. He was an avid gardener. So he decided to subscribe to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. THIS was the book he would learn to read and write English with. My mother was his teacher. Together they would pore over the Almanac, and she would have him read aloud so he could learn his English. As a child, I remember vividly the times when he would sit with me, asking me to read aloud to him the words in his favorite book. And together, I learned about gardening, and he learned about his new country’s language. Now, decades after his passing, every time I see an Almanac, I remember those times with my grandpa. To be sure, The Old Farmer’s Almanac holds a very special place in my heart!
Brenda Georgewitz
What’s not to love about The Old Farmer’s Almanac. They have an answer to all your questions. If you can’t find the answer here, you might as well stop trying to find it. I can remember my grandpa always had one out in the outhouse. It had an old shoestring through the hole, and he would always hang it on a nail right on the door. And my grandma always used the recipes—boy, that was some good eatin’.
And today I use it for gardening, weather, and The Best Days always has a marker in it. And I found my favorite pie crust recipe in it. It’s Dad’s pie pastry, and I can still remember the proverb that was on the page, “Eat enough piecrust and it will make you wise.” Just a little trivia. Been nice talkin’ with you. Thanks for the memories.
Meridian Philips
The Old Farmer’s Almanac means so many things to me—tradition, wisdom, pause, and work. It means curiosity and entertainment; information and snickers … and when to cut my hair. It’s logic and whimsy wrapped in the tried and true.
Benita Young
One of my first memories is of my brother and me sitting on either side of our Grandma Connor, all cozy and safe … listening to her read to us in her soft, lilting Indiana voice The Old Farmer’s Almanac. She firmly believed that The Old Farmer’s Almanac held the simple wisdom that every person and child should know. She grew up on an old country dairy farm in the 1900s … and like her parents before her, her day would not start without consulting The Old Farmer’s Almanac over morning coffee in the wee hours of dawn. She continued this practice throughout her long life, and the two books you would never see her without were her Bible and The Old Farmer’s Almanac … and she always carried a handkerchief and Juicy Fruit gum in her pocketbook. She instilled in me that if you had a question of any kind, you could consult either book, and your question would be answered to your satisfaction. To this day I continue her legacy each morning, even though she and my brother have long been gone and I am now a grandmother with white hair … I sit at the kitchen table and drink my coffee while I consult my Old Farmer’s Almanac and fondly remember those simpler days as I read to my grandchildren … I remind them that life may be complicated, but as long as you have The Old Farmer’s Almanac, you have the answers.
Stephen Turbett
The cover alone invokes memories from far back into my childhood. My grandmother would keep one near her at all times to tell us the weather. We would be disappointed if we didn’t hear the predictions for the weather. And if she said it would snow, then it would. We always looked forward to a possible snow day. The Almanac was used to set family reunions and plan family members’ weddings. It wasn’t until I was in my teens that I realized that The Old Farmer’s Almanac was a prediction and not the bible of weather. As a child, I would sit and study the cover looking at the many intricate designs and drawings. I soon learned of the many interesting articles and would enjoy sitting and reading every one of them. I studied astronomy in high school and soon realized the information in the Almanac was quite helpful in doing homework and then, years later, reminding me, when I got the telescope out, where we sat in this wonderful universe. I remember my father using the Almanac to determine good fishing days. Only to discover all the days were good when fishing with my dad. He taught me a lot through the Almanac, such as when to plant or harvest the garden. How to and when to plant potatoes, beans, and tomatoes, which I still reference today. My mother would then reference the Almanac when canning and preserving the crops we grew in our garden so we could enjoy them throughout the winter. Other than the Bible, it is the only book that has always been around our family. You might say it was always part of our family. I wish I had all the copies that were read by family members. Just this past autumnal equinox, it was cold and rainy, and I sat and read a lot of the small quips to keep me entertained. I have appreciated this printing for many years and hope it will be around for many more to come. Thank you for your fine publication
Here are even more reader responses (in no particular order). Frankly, they were all wonderful!
Sarah Kunza
I’m not sure when I first picked up an Old Farmer’s Almanac, but I know that I’ve been hooked ever since. The Almanac is a goldmine of important, entertaining, and trustworthy information. It is a rare gem that has been shared in my family through multiple generations. My daughter can now say that she reads the same magazine her great-GREAT-grandparents read! I’m so glad it is still being printed after all these years!!!
John Jackson
Growing up in northern New York in the 1950s, it was always a good idea to know how much snow we would have to hike through to get to school. Uncle Stony always kept The Old Farmer’s Almanac hanging on the wall in his woodcarving studio where we could check the weather prediction each day. There was also a forecast on the radio, but the Almanac was more accurate. Weather wasn’t the only thing I learned about from the Almanac. Uncle Stony was an avid outdoorsman and gardener. He always caught the biggest fish. He grew prize-winning flowers and grew enough vegetables to fill the root cellar for the whole winter. His “secret” was to study the charts and stories in the Almanac, which he taught me how to read. Then he took me on his hikes through the fields and woods where we would “discover” everything I know and love about nature. Thanks to The Old Farmer’s Almanac and Uncle Stony, I have continued that love and respect for nature to this day. When I became a teacher, I made sure that there were always copies of the Almanac in my classroom and that every student knew how to read and use it. I’m retired now, but I still hear from former students who now take their own children on nature walks with the Almanac in hand.
Violet Crumbles
What does The Old Farmer’s Almanac mean to me? Information. Long-range temperature and rain forecasts. Great articles on wide-ranging subjects, from health to DIY project ideas. Simply put, The Old Farmer’s Almanac was the first magazine for hands-on nerds and geeks. It may have been written specifically for farmers, but it served—and still serves—a much greater audience. I am a gardener, a hobby astronomer, a bird watcher, and (as a resident of the Gulf Coast) an avid weather watcher. You are and have always been a great lifeline. Thank you for the many decades of service.
Toni Koch
Hello! My husband has put The Old Farmer’s Almanac in my stocking every Christmas for the last 33 years! I save it for the end of the day, when everyone has left, and everything has been put away. I grab a cup of tea, put my feet up and read the articles and highlight the weather forecast for our area. It’s a special treat that I look forward to every year.
Callie A. Shepherd
Old Farmer’s Almanac provides a bit of the past, the present, and the future all rolled up into one.
Melanie Walker
Impressing the Grandkids with the Almanac
I am a slightly unconventional grandmother with over 30 grandkids. I work hard to stay interesting and give my grandkids unusual tidbits of information and knowledge. I send them messages on social media or when I see them about meteor showers, Full Moon dates and folklore, and even Best Days. When I know someone will be traveling or planning a special event, Grandma whips out the weather information for that timeframe. It’s saved the day on more than one occasion. From teaching the little ones about the stars and the planets to homespun advice for the grown ones, this grandma stays “in the know” with The Old Farmer’s Almanac. I’m the grandma who knows the cool stuff … just ask them.
Michelle Proper
I love sharing the folklore with my two grandboys, aged 6 and 7. They love learning about Mother Earth, the planets, and everything around them. They also love to help Nana in the garden and learn all about harvesting good food. We go for hikes in the woods and learn about the different trees and the many mushrooms growing around the woods. The Old Farmer’s Almanac is a learning tool for us and a way to bring us together as a family.
Angela Johnson
The Old Farmer’s Almanac is a part of the local heritage in our neck of the woods. If you drive by someone’s beautiful, bountiful garden and find yourself wondering what their secret is, you can bet your bottom dollar that they go by the Almanac! A time-honored tradition in Kentucky that continues on with the next generation of farmers and gardeners.
John Dallal
Old Farmer’s Almanac has been
A nicely added spice,
With its weather forecasts,
And its sage advice.
I turn 70 this year
And truly have to say
The Old Farmer’s Almanac has been,
For me, a great mainstay!
Brenda Harless
I’m a country girl. Growing up on the farm, I can remember getting The Old Farmer’s Almanac, and we would just pore over it from cover to cover. It was our calendar, best times to plant, how bad a winter we could expect, and making sure to can and preserve enough to hold us over until spring. Heck, even the best time when the fish were biting. Though the edges would become ragged and worn from so much handling, we never threw it away. There were always treasures to find within its cover. Every time I pick one up now, it transports me back in time, and I feel like a kid again, anxious to uncover the treasures inside.
Jeremy Nelson
There’s so much to love about The Old Farmer’s Almanac, I could fill the page with praise. The folklore, home remedies, meteorological information, gardening tips, and so much more. But two things stand out to me: The exceptional array of delicious recipes that make use of the produce you’ve helped us grow, and the long-standing tradition of your almanac. It is an American treasure, much like apple pie and baseball. I look forward to many more years of enjoyment. Thank you!
George P. Bratton
About 25 years ago, The Old Farmer’s Almanac was predicting a blizzard for my area of Virginia, but our weather forecast on the news was saying maybe just a couple of inches of snow because the storm was going to take a path that wouldn’t give us much snow. I kept telling everyone what the Almanac said, and they just laughed and said, “You can’t go by them old predictions anymore. They have modern technology to predict these things with their computer models and all that.” But I was the one laughing after a huge snowstorm hit and gave us 2 feet of snow, and I have always believed in the Almanac ever since and love telling that story.
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