Farmers’ Almanac to End Publication After More 208 years

A 208-year-old publication that generations of farmers, gardeners, and weather watchers have relied on for guidance is coming to an end.

Farmers’ Almanac announced Thursday that its 2026 edition will be its last, citing financial challenges of producing and distributing the book in today’s “chaotic media environment.” Access to its online version will end next month.

First published in 1818 by David Young in New Jersey and based in Maine since 1955, Farmers’ Almanac became famous for its long-range weather forecasts—said to be based on a secret formula involving sunspots, planetary positions, and lunar cycles. It also offered gardening tips, household wisdom, jokes, trivia, and home remedies, such as catnip for pain relief and elderberry syrup to boost immunity.

Get our free mobile app

In 2017, the publication reported a North American circulation of 2.1 million and noted growing readership among urban dwellers and home gardeners. To reflect its broader audience, the Farmers’ Almanac began featuring both skyscrapers and farmhouses on its covers.

The Farmers’ Almanac should not be confused with the Old Farmer’s Almanac (founded in 1792 by Robert B. Thomas in neighboring New Hampshire). The Old Farmer’s Almanac—the oldest continuously published periodical in North America—plans to continue printing as usual.

Both modern publications trace their inspiration back to Poor Richard’s Almanack, published by Benjamin Franklin from 1732 to 1758 under the pen name “Poor Richard” or “Richard Saunders.” Franklin is said to have borrowed the pseudonym from a deceased astrologer-doctor and adapted the title from his brother James Franklin’s Poor Robin’s Almanack, itself a reworking of an even earlier English almanac.

Over two centuries, the Farmers’ Almanac reflected and shaped the values of its readers. In 1834 it urged people to give up tobacco; in 1850 it recommended bean leaves to repel bedbugs; and in 1876 it encouraged women to gain skills to live independently—advising, “It is better to be a woman than a wife.” In 1923, it reminded readers to preserve “old-fashioned neighborhoodliness” amid modern inventions like cars, telephones, and daily mail.

With its final edition, Farmers’ Almanac closes a remarkable chapter in American publishing—one filled with practical advice, curious predictions, and a touch of old-time wisdom that guided generations through changing times.