The Old Farmer’s Almanac 2009: Something For Everyone

By Nancy K. Crevier

Where else other than The Old Farmer’s Almanac can you determine the gestation and mating dates for common farm animals, discover the universal themes of dreams, net some fishing tips, learn how to store cold weather crops, pick up on the newest trends for the upcoming year, ponder global warming, track the tides, and otherwise add to your treasure chest of trivia in just 256 pages?

The 217th edition of the oldest continuously published periodical in North America hit the stands Tuesday, September 9. Originally published as a “calendar for the heavens” that could help farmers plant and harvest in harmony with nature and predict astronomical events, the periodical quickly gained a reputation for accuracy thanks to founder Robert B. Thomas’s “secret formula” for predicting weather. Involving the study of sunspots and solar activity, that still closely held formula continues to be the basis for the Almanac’s prediction of weather patterns, updated over the years by scientific research and new technology. Whatever the secret, The Old Farmer’s Almanac has consistently been rated as 80 to 85 percent accurate by regular readers for two centuries. Who has not at some point browsed a copy just to check what next month’s weather will bring?

Viewed by many as a source of wisdom, amusement, and astronomical knowledge, the small but mighty magazine for 2009 is once again chock full of articles to amaze and amuse the more than 18.5 million readers that pick it up each year.

Along with the eagerly anticipated monthly forecast for each region in the United States (look for a cold and snowy winter here in New England, followed by a dry and mild summer), the Farmer’s Almanac offers astronomy buffs 27 pages of data for the whole year, plus a guide to star-gazing.

The articles range from the whimsical to the worldly. If it is the stars that guide your days, find your Zodiac gardening profile in “The Astrologer’s Garden,” by Celeste Longacre. “How To Live To Be 100 Or More” by Ann Thurlow takes a look at longevity. And political enthusiasts and bakers won’t want to miss page 179 for the Election Cake recipe — a spicy cake with nuts.

A more chilling food for thought is Joseph D’Aleo’s article, “Is Global Warming On The Wane?” where Mr D’Aleo writes, “We at the Almanac are among those who believe that sunspot cycles and their effects on oceans correlate with climate changes. Studying these and other factors suggests that a cold, not a warm, climate is in our future.”

For those who prefer the “look out the window and see” method of predicting weather, there is still plenty in the periodical to keep you turning the pages.

Kathleen A. McCarthy’s “Footnotes” does not tiptoe around foot discomfort suffered by millions of Americans every day, and tells what can be done to get the body’s closest connection to the earth back into shape.

Bone up on planting tips in “How To Grow A Ton of Tomatoes,” in case this year’s garden was a bust, or take comfort in recipes excerpted from The Farmer’s Almanac Everyday Cookbook, another related publication.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac is bursting with tidbits of information for those with only a minute to spare. Find out at a glance about this year’s hot hues, doggie dental devices, man-bags, menswear, ladies’ wear, food trends, and pocket pups. They all have their moment in the sun in this year’s magazine. Discover trout tricks and micro cars, how to whip up the tastiest ethnic recipes, and what makes fireflies glow. And have fun finding out the seven things The Old Farmer’s Almanac assures us we no longer need to worry about.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac is predictably comforting, intriguing, and informative, but like a familiar friend, the 2009 magazine fulfills its promise, once again, to be anything but dull.