After more than two centuries of printing long-range forecasts and planting tips, the Farmers’ Almanac is preparing to shut down both its print edition and digital presence. The 2026 issue will be the last in a run that began in 1818, closing a chapter of American publishing that has survived wars, depressions, and the rise of television and the internet. Its decision to stop is rooted in financial strain, shifting media habits, and a changing relationship between readers and the kind of folk wisdom the publication has long championed.
The end of the Farmers’ Almanac is not just a nostalgic loss, it is a case study in how even the most enduring brands can struggle when the economics of media and the expectations of audiences move faster than a legacy format can adapt. Understanding why this 208-year institution is winding down helps explain what is happening to other niche print titles, and why some similar publications are still hanging on.
The final edition and what exactly is ending
The core fact is stark: the Farmers’ Almanac has confirmed that its 2026 edition will be its last, bringing an unbroken publishing streak that began in 1818 to a close after a 208-year run. The editors describe the move as the “final publication” of the familiar orange-covered booklet that has long promised to tell readers how cold the winter would be or when to plant tomatoes. The 2026 issue is already available, but it is being framed as a farewell rather than a fresh start, signaling that this is not a temporary pause or a pivot to a new format.
In its own explanation, the publication notes that the decision, while difficult, reflects a broader reassessment of how it can realistically operate in the current media landscape. The editors say the choice to end the print run and wind down operations is a recognition that the traditional model no longer fits the realities of how people get information. That message is reinforced in an official end-of-an-era announcement, which frames the closure as a thoughtful, if painful, response to long-building pressures rather than a sudden collapse.
A 200-year institution rooted in 1818
Part of what makes the shutdown so striking is the sheer longevity of the brand. The Farmers’ Almanac traces its first issue to 1818, meaning it has been in continuous circulation for more than 200 years, surviving the transition from horse-drawn plows to GPS-guided tractors. Over that span, it became best known for its long-range weather predictions, which were marketed as a blend of secret formulas, astronomical observations, and historical patterns. The publication’s own retrospective describes how the first edition “rolled off the printing press” in the early nineteenth century and how its identity has remained remarkably consistent since then.
That continuity helped the Farmers’ Almanac become a fixture in rural households and small-town stores, where copies were often kept near the kitchen table or hanging by a nail in the barn. The editors’ farewell message notes that many of its readers grew up hearing parents or grandparents quote from the Almanac, and that maybe those readers themselves kept a copy handy for planting dates or folklore. That multigenerational presence is part of why the end feels like more than just another magazine folding, it marks the fading of a particular kind of analog, seasonal relationship to information.
Clarifying the confusion: which almanac is actually shutting down
The announcement has generated a wave of confusion because there are at least two similarly named publications, and only one is closing. The Farmers’ Almanac that is ending is the one based in Lewiston, Me., which has confirmed that its 2026 edition will be its last and that its website will remain accessible only through the end of 2025. Coverage of the decision has stressed that this is the specific brand that has decided to stop, and that its publication run is the one ending after more than 200 years.
By contrast, The Old Farmer’s Almanac, which is based in Dublin, N.H., is not shutting down and continues to promote its own 2026 issue. Reporting that explains what is the titles notes that The Old Farmer’s Almanac is a separate operation with its own editorial staff and forecasting methods. Its latest edition is still being marketed on its own site, where the Breadcrumb trail leads to the 2026 Old Farmer’s Almanac product page. That distinction matters because some readers have mistakenly assumed that all farmer-focused almanacs are disappearing, when in fact only one of the major brands is closing.
Financial strain and a chaotic media environment
Behind the nostalgic language of farewell lies a blunt economic reality. The Farmers’ Almanac’s own leadership has acknowledged that the publication is ceasing operations because of “growing financial challenges” that have made it impossible to sustain the business. The version of events shared by the editors in Lewiston, Me., describes a print and digital operation squeezed by rising costs and declining traditional revenue, a pattern that has hit many legacy magazines. That explanation is echoed in outside coverage that cites financial challenges amid what is described as a “chaotic media environment.”
That phrase captures a broader shift in how audiences consume information and how advertisers allocate budgets. Print circulation has been under pressure for years as readers move to smartphones and social media for weather updates, gardening tips, and lifestyle content that once would have come from a single annual volume. At the same time, digital advertising has consolidated around a few giant platforms, leaving smaller publishers to fight over a shrinking slice of the pie. The Farmers’ Almanac’s own farewell message frames the decision as a response to those structural headwinds, not a lack of reader affection.
Digital disruption: when a website is not enough
Unlike some print titles that resisted the internet, the Farmers’ Almanac did build an online presence, complete with articles, recipes, and interactive tools. Yet the decision to end the print edition is being paired with a plan to close the website as well, underscoring that simply having a URL is not the same as having a sustainable digital business. Reporting on the shutdown notes that the 2026 print edition will be the last and that the website will close soon afterward, rather than serving as a long-term archive or subscription hub.
That choice reflects how difficult it can be for a niche brand to compete in a digital ecosystem dominated by free weather apps, algorithmically curated gardening videos, and search-optimized blogs. The Farmers’ Almanac’s long-range forecasts and seasonal advice now sit alongside hourly radar maps from services like Weather Underground and hyperlocal planting calendars generated by apps that use GPS and climate data. Even as the publication tried to modernize, the economics of online publishing, from search engine visibility to social media algorithms, made it hard to translate its historical authority into the kind of scale or subscription revenue needed to survive. The official announcement hints at this reality by tying the closure to broader changes in how people access information.
Forecasts, folklore, and the question of scientific credibility
Another pressure point has been the growing scrutiny of the Almanac’s forecasting methods in an era of climate science and real-time meteorological data. The Farmers’ Almanac has long promoted a proprietary formula that blends astronomy, historical patterns, and other factors, but it has also faced criticism from scientists who argue that such long-range predictions are not very reliable. One analysis of why the 2026 edition will be the last notes that some meteorologists consider the Almanac’s use of astrology and similar techniques “not very scientific,” a perception that can erode authority when audiences have access to detailed models from national weather agencies. That critique is highlighted in coverage explaining why the publication is going away after over 200 years.
At the same time, the Almanac’s appeal has never been purely about accuracy in a narrow scientific sense. Readers have treated its forecasts and folklore as part of a seasonal ritual, something to consult alongside local news and personal experience rather than a definitive guide. The editors’ own farewell essays emphasize the blend of weather, gardening, astronomy, and household wisdom that defined the brand. Yet as climate change accelerates and extreme weather becomes more common, the stakes of forecasting have risen, and audiences may be less willing to indulge methods that are perceived as quaint rather than rigorous. That tension between tradition and modern expectations of evidence-based information has likely contributed to the sense that the Almanac’s model was increasingly out of step with the times.
How the final issues frame the goodbye
The Farmers’ Almanac is not slipping away quietly. Its final editions are being marketed as both practical guides and commemorative artifacts, with editors leaning into the sense of closure. One report notes that the 2026 issue is being sold as the last chance to experience the familiar mix of long-range forecasts and seasonal tips that have defined the brand. Another piece invites readers to see the final Kentucky winter forecast, underscoring how deeply the Almanac’s predictions have been woven into local conversations about weather and farming.
Inside the publication’s own channels, the tone is one of gratitude and reflection. A “fond farewell” message thanks readers for keeping copies in their homes and for treating the Almanac as a trusted companion through planting seasons and winter storms. That note, which recalls how the Almanac was often picked up at a local grocery or bookstore, positions the final issue as a shared milestone rather than a purely commercial product. The framing suggests that the editors see the closure as the end of a relationship with readers that was as much emotional as informational.
Why some almanacs survive while this one does not
The fact that The Old Farmer’s Almanac is continuing while the Farmers’ Almanac is shutting down raises questions about what differentiates the two. Reporting that lays out The Farmers and The Old Farmer’s Almanac side by side notes that they have distinct ownership, editorial approaches, and business strategies. The Old Farmer’s Almanac has invested heavily in branded books, calendars, and digital products, and its 2026 edition is being promoted as part of a broader ecosystem rather than a standalone booklet. Its site, which highlights the Old Farmer brand, suggests a more diversified revenue base that may help it weather the same headwinds that have overwhelmed its counterpart.
By contrast, the Farmers’ Almanac appears to have remained more tightly tied to its core annual publication and a relatively modest digital presence. Coverage of the shutdown emphasizes that the Lewiston-based operation is ending both its print edition and its online site, rather than repositioning itself as a primarily digital service. That difference in strategy may help explain why one almanac can still see a path forward while the other does not. It also illustrates a broader pattern in media, where brands that successfully extend into events, e-commerce, and multimedia have more options than those that rely on a single flagship product.
Cultural legacy and what is lost when a print icon fades
Beyond the business story, the end of the Farmers’ Almanac represents a cultural shift away from a slower, more cyclical way of engaging with information. For generations, picking up the new edition each year was a small ritual, akin to buying a wall calendar or a seed catalog. The editors’ farewell notes that after more than 200 years, the 2026 edition will be the last one, and that reality has prompted an outpouring of memories from readers who associate the booklet with grandparents’ kitchens, farm stands, and hardware store checkout lines.
In that sense, the closure is part of a broader story about the decline of printed reference books, from encyclopedias to phone directories. Yet the Farmers’ Almanac occupied a particular niche that blended practical advice with folklore, jokes, and community identity. Its long-range forecasts for regions like Kentucky were conversation starters as much as planning tools, and its gardening charts helped structure the year for home growers. As those pages disappear, some of that shared seasonal language may migrate to apps and social feeds, but the tactile, once-a-year rhythm that the Almanac embodied will be harder to replicate.
What the end of the Farmers’ Almanac signals about media’s future
Supporting sources: ‘Farmer’s Almanac’ says.
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