The headlines back then were: Mississippi became the 20th state, the Erie Canal’s construction began, and James Monroe was sworn in as the fifth U.S. president.
That all happened way back in 1817 – when Maine was still part of Massachusetts – the year before The Pine Tree State woke up to its first Farmer’s Almanac’s wisdom on everything from weather to crop rotation.
But “shifting reader habits and economic realities” have now spelled the end to Maine’s favorite eclectic Bible.
“A Fond Farewell,” the almanac staff wrote on its website. “The season we hoped would never come is here.”
Ironically, the announcement of the almanac’s demise came to readers on the platform that spelled its end: the Internet.
David Geiger, a member of the fifth generation to own the publishing company that puts out the almanac, said the family finally had to face the inevitable change in reader habits.
Almanac Editor Sandi Duncan said the end comes “with a heavy heart.”
“We share the end of what has not only been an annual tradition in millions of homes and hearths for hundreds of years, but also a way of life, an inspiration for many who realize the wisdom of generations past is the key to the generations of the future,” Duncan said.
The almanac is a division of Geiger, a Lewiston-based promotional-products company.
The first almanac was printed in 1818, beginning a long tradition of long-range weather forecasts, gardening and farming tips.
“This decision was honestly heartbreaking,” Geiger said. “While the Farmers’ Almanac represents a small part of our overall business, it has always been a meaningful part of our family’s legacy.”
Newsstand sales have dropped markedly due to that one darn big cloud – the Internet, according to Geiger.
“Readers now access information and answers differently,” he explained.
The 2026 Farmers’ Almanac will be Geiger’s final edition.
“Many of you grew up hearing your parents or grandparents quote from the almanac, always having a copy nearby,” the staff wrote in its farewell.
“Maybe you have planted by our Moon phases, consulted the Almanac for the ‘Best Days’ to potty train, wean, or go fishing. We’re grateful to have been part of your life and trust that you’ll help keep the spirit of the Almanac alive.”
The Maine publication was sometimes confused with, but never duplicated by, the Old Farmer’s Almanac, which began in 1792, a product of Yankee publishing in Dublin, N.H.
