book review: the old farmer’s almanac

November 19, 2019

For the first time ever, I bought the farmer’s almanac. You know the one, that famed book of gardening, weather, and folklore that has been around forever. Or at least since 1792, when it was founded. I’ve heard many opinions about the almanac over the years, from those who swear by it to those who feel it’s full of hogwash. I like to keep an open mind. Anything that may help me succeed in my 2020 garden, I’m on board with.

the old farmer's almanac 2020


So, for anyone who’s never looked through the almanac and is curious, here is what you can expect to find, along with my two cents.

The content is divided into many sections, including Amusement, Astrology, Astronomy, Calendar, Folklore, Food, all the way down to Weather at the end. Very comprehensive! For the most part it is printed in black and white; however, the recipe section and at least three articles are in color. It is truly packed full. There is so much to read that is no wonder they publish just one volume, to cover the whole year. Cost: $7.99.

the old farmer's almanac 2020


From my initial look-through, I have a feeling that what I may find most valuable are the Gardening section (not surprised, are ya?); Astronomy (the man and I do like to stargaze from time to time and have a fairly decent telescope to assist with that); Nature and Pets; and really, it all looks like a pretty good read. I have to say that while I am a scientist by training and put no real stock in astrology, it can be pretty fun to read. There is also a section on the Tides and this makes me wish (not for the first, second, or third time), that I lived near the ocean.

Here’s part of the March page. There’s a lot of detail packed into one page.

the old farmer's almanac 2020


There are a couple of articles that I’m looking forward to reading: How Dogs Train People and a special report called Growing Farmers. And there’s this one that looks interesting, Burro Into This:

the old farmer's almanac 2020


It’s so full of information, both seemingly irrelevant tidbits and very useful stuff. Overall, I feel that this mighty little publication is well worth the $7.99. Have you ever read any of the almanacs over the years? What are your thoughts?


No Comments

I'd Love to Hear from You!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Never miss a post!

Enter your email address & Click subscribe