OPINION: The blood of print publication is in our own hands, the heartbeat of which has been atrophying since the new century. The 2026 edition of the “Farmer’s Almanac” will be the final adieu to 200 years of forecasting, but the death of the Almanac began before editor Sandi Duncan released the news this past November.
The publication was first released in 1818, moving in with our neighbors in Lewiston by 1955, not to be confused with the “Old Farmer’s Almanac.” While the print is commonly known for long term weather trends, it was also host to articles about moon dates, natural remedies and other how-to’s.
Ray Geiger, the original editor of the newer “Farmer’s Almanac”, served overseas in World War II. Still, the publication progressed. Gunfire, worldwide mobilization and the upheaval of culture time and time again through Vietnam, political unrest and terrorism could not shake this publication. Print media going out of Vogue, however, was.
The rot of our attention deficits was enough to crumble an empire of fourth estate. The stalking of technology created a new standard for the consumer, that media is to be digested in a single gulp.
Duncan attributed the ending of the “Farmer’s Almanac” to the “chaotic media environment,” citing financial stress as a leading factor. Digital disruption is the cornerstone of media destruction, draining journalistic pursuits with short form content under the guise of press. The “Farmer’s Almanac” is not the only example, as local newspapers get thwarted by the bigger fish and magazine stands turn to convenience stores.
I am no farmer. The houseplant, in fact, fears me after the massacres of everything I have tried to maintain it. Yet, this little agriculturally-based book carries more weight than its content.
It should be a principled statement on our modern progression away from long form media.
According to YouGov, 54 percent of Americans read one book in 2023, rates dropping dramatically from past years. Moreso, in The Reading Agency’s 2024 report, researchers saw a decline in adult reading. In the same report, using data from the UK, they found that 26 percent had stopped reading because of “time spent on social media.” Compared to 2015, there is a marked 13.8 percent decline of readers.
As we turn to social media and let the books on our shelves rot, we miss out on something important. There is a mindfulness and holistic aspect to reading that grounds us while the world seems to spin a bit faster. The “Farmer’s Almanac” is not a dense read, yet its paperback binding has made it impossible to keep up with the new age. This should be a reminder to not fall into this collapse.
