Why I read the Farmer’s Almanac

There was a period of time when it seemed like I had a lot of Steves in my life. There was Cantaloupe Steve (a melon grower), there were a couple of boyfriend Steves, and then there was Cell Phone Steve. He got that name because he gave my daughter Alex a cell phone for her Bat Mitzvah.

Well, one day about five years ago, Cell Phone Steve and I were talking and he casually mentioned how he looked in the Old Farmer’s Almanac in reference to weather conditions.

The Farmer’s Almanac? A modern day entrepreneur checking out the Farmer’s Almanac? Was it still around? Hmmm… I thought I’d better check that out for myself.

Ever since, I have been an avid reader of the Old Farmer’s Almanac. You can find it at your local grocery store or bookstore. It comes out once a year, and has different versions. I usually buy the regular version, but while I was cleaning out my office today, I found the “Special Gift Edition,” which I got at a produce industry show. I think it’s for non-commercial farmers.

Why should you consider reading the Old Farmer’s Almanac?

• It includes a chart entitled “Best Days for 2010.” For each month the chart tells you things like the best day to quit smoking, best day to go camping, best day for dental care, best day to begin a diet, best day to slaughter livestock, etc.
• It gives you the weather forecast for each month (by days), including precipitation, temperature, cloudiness, etc.
• It tells you when the last spring frost and the first fall frost are predicted for each state, which is quite important for home gardeners.
• It tells you when all the holidays and observances are, including “movable” religious observances, such as Easter, Rosh Hashanah, etc.
• On the right-hand calendar pages, it provides earthquake prediction dates.
• No surprise to me – it also has information on when Mercury is in Retrograde

So, whether you are planning an outdoor party and want a head’s up on upcoming weather, or you’re a home gardener planning your next planting, it might be worth a few dollars to pick up a copy. You can also get a lot of great info from the Old Farmer’s Almanac website, www.almanac.com.

Happy forecasting!
Karen

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