After 200 years, the Farmers’ Almanac bets on a digital reboot and new proprietor | EUROtoday

The Farmers’ Almanac is not going out of enterprise in spite of everything, however it’s leaving Maine for the brilliant lights of New York City and a brand new proprietor.

Beloved by farmers and gardeners, the almanac was first printed in 1818 and — just like the arguably extra well-known Old Farmer’s Almanac — depends on a secret components of sunspots, planetary positions and lunar cycles to generate long-range climate forecasts.

It’s been acquired by Unofficial Networks, a digital writer targeted on snowboarding and out of doors recreation. That means the almanac will preserve working regardless of saying in November that its 208-year run was coming to an finish.

A brand new Farmers’ Almanac web site will probably be “a living, breathing publication with fresh, daily content” and there are plans to convey again a print version, mentioned Tim Konrad, founder and writer of New York-based Unofficial Networks.

“I saw the announcement that one of America’s most enduring publications was set to close,” Konrad mentioned, “and it felt wrong to stand by while an irreplaceable piece of our national heritage disappeared.”

The deal will prioritize “preserving and sustaining the iconic publication,” based on a press release from Unofficial Networks and Peter Geiger, the almanac’s longtime writer.

The Farmers’ Almanac was based in New Jersey earlier than shifting its headquarters to Lewiston, Maine, in 1955. The Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicated in New Hampshire.

Over the years, scientists have generally chafed on the publications’ predictions. Studies of their accuracy have discovered them to be slightly greater than 50% correct. That is about on par with random probability.

But Geiger, whose household had the Farmers’ Almanac for greater than 90 years, mentioned they’re “going out a winner” by having predicted a chilly and snowy 2026.

“For more than 200 years, the values and wisdom of the Farmers’ Almanac have been protected and nurtured by four owner-publishers,” Geiger said. “I am grateful to have found the right next custodian in Tim Konrad. I am also confident he will honor its heritage and carry it forward for generations to come.”

Unofficial Networks was began in 2006 by Konrad and his brother John in a California basement, based on the corporate’s web site.