The Farmers’ Almanac, a staple for generations of American farmers and gardeners, will publish its final edition in 2026, editors announced Thursday, closing a chapter that began in 1818.
Sandi Duncan, editor, and Peter Geiger, editor emeritus, shared the news on the publication’s website, citing the difficult decision amid evolving media challenges. “It is with a great appreciation and heartfelt emotions that we write to share some sad news,” the statement read. “After more than 200 years of sharing a unique blend of weather, wit and wisdom, we’ve made the very difficult decision to write the final chapter of this historical publication. The 2026 Farmers’ Almanac will be our last edition.”
The annual guide, printed in Lewiston since its founding by David Young, has offered long-range weather forecasts, planting calendars, astronomical data and practical tips on topics from composting to stargazing. Its predictions, derived from a closely guarded formula involving solar science, climatology and historical trends, have guided decisions on everything from seed sowing to harvest timing. Access to the website’s digital content will end by December 2025, with social media accounts phasing out in the months ahead.
While the editors did not detail specific financial pressures, industry observers point to rising production costs, declining print circulation and competition from free digital weather apps as factors straining traditional publications. The almanac sold more than 1 million copies annually at its peak in the mid-20th century, but sales have waned with the rise of smartphones and subscription-based forecasting services.
For farmers in Southern Maryland, where agriculture remains a cornerstone of the economy, the news carries practical weight. The region’s 1,200-plus farms across Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties generate over $158 million in annual output and support 2,298 jobs, according to a 2023 analysis by the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission. Crops like soybeans, corn, wheat and tomatoes dominate, alongside aquaculture ventures in the Chesapeake Bay tributaries. Historical records show early 19th-century planters in the area relied on almanacs for tidal predictions and frost dates, essential for tobacco cultivation that once defined the local economy.
Maryland’s agricultural heritage traces back to the colonial era, when the colony earned the nickname “Breadbasket of the Revolution” for supplying grain to George Washington’s troops. Farmers in what is now Southern Maryland produced wheat, corn and livestock that sustained the Continental Army, with output peaking at 1.5 million bushels of wheat by 1775. Almanacs like the Farmers’ version provided the era’s best tools for aligning planting with variable coastal weather, where nor’easters and humid summers could wipe out yields. Today, University of Maryland Extension agents in the region still reference almanac-style calendars for integrated pest management and soil testing schedules, advising growers on everything from lime applications to cover crop rotations.
The publication’s “wit and wisdom” sections, filled with recipes, remedies and folklore, resonated in rural households. In Southern Maryland, where community markets like those in Leonardtown and Prince Frederick thrive, such advice informed home canning of tomatoes or timing oyster harvests. Editors encouraged readers to continue traditions: “Our wish for you is to keep tending what’s important. Keep watching the weather and awe-inspiring sunrises and sunsets. Thank you for your support.”
The announcement, signed by Duncan and Geiger, noted the 2026 edition is available now through retailers and online platforms like Amazon. It includes the final long-range forecast, predicting a warmer-than-average winter for the Mid-Atlantic with above-normal precipitation in early 2026 — details that could prove vital for Maryland’s $1.7 billion agriculture sector statewide.
As one era closes, alternatives endure. The Old Farmer’s Almanac, a distinct publication founded in 1792 in New Hampshire and the oldest continuously printed periodical in North America, shows no signs of slowing. Its 2026 edition, released last week, expands on similar themes with added focus on climate-resilient gardening and regional recipes. Other resources include the Farmers’ Almanac’s spiritual successor in digital form through apps like the Old Farmer’s Weather History tool, which archives data from over 1,300 U.S. stations dating to 1818. For Southern Maryland growers, the Maryland Climate-Smart Agriculture Project at the University of Maryland offers free modeling tools to forecast climate impacts on crops, integrating historical data with projections through 2050.
The Farmers’ Almanac’s departure underscores shifts in how rural communities access information. In an age of NOAA radar and satellite imagery, the almanac’s charm lay in its analog reliability, mailed to mailboxes each fall. Yet its legacy persists in the routines it shaped: checking lunar phases for weeding or heeding barometric hints for storms rolling off the Bay.
