RIP Franchises of our youths

[thatguy]

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/07/goodby...-2026.html

Goodbye to the Farmer's Almanac (1818-2026)
Ellsworth Toohey

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After 208 years of weather, wit, and wisdom, the Farmer's Almanac announced that its 2026 edition will be its last — a farewell to an American icon that began when David Young, a poet and astronomer, published the first edition in Morristown, New Jersey in 1818.

For generations, this little book with its secret "Caleb Weatherbee" forecasting formula was more than a collection of long-range weather predictions. It was Grandma consulting the Moon phases before planting tomatoes, Dad insisting on fishing during the "best days," and countless dinner table arguments over whether that red sky at night would deliver sailor's delight.

In their goodbye, editors Sandi Duncan and Peter Geiger thank the millions who "grew up hearing your parents or grandparents quote from the Almanac." Their final wish is beautifully simple: keep the tradition alive. "Plant your peas when the daffodils bloom. Tell the kids how granddad always swore by the Almanac."

Since the Geiger family took stewardship in 1933, circulation exploded from 85,000 to millions. Yet even this beloved institution couldn't outlast the digital revolution. When the final 2026 edition hits shelves, we'll lose more than a book—we'll lose our most poetic connection to the seasons.

WMTW notes,"The Farmers' Almanac is different from The Old Farmer's Almanac, the latter of which is based in Dublin, New Hampshire, and has been published continuously since 1792." The Internet Archive has scans of both titles, as well as others of a similar nature.

--tg