The Cute Yellow The Old Farmer’s Almanac Isn’t the One Shutting Down — Its Rival Ends After 208 Years

 

For over two centuries, The Old Farmer’s Almanac — that little yellow book filled with weather predictions, gardening tips, and wry wisdom — has been a constant companion to porch-sitters, gardeners, and star-gazers across America. So when headlines recently began circulating that “the Farmers’ Almanac is shutting down,” panic rippled through readers who thought the beloved yellow edition was closing its cover for good.

But breathe easy, lovers of folklore and long-range forecasts — the Old Farmer’s Almanac isn’t going anywhere. The one ending publication is its rival, the Farmers’ Almanac — a separate, though similarly named, publication that has shared the shelves (and occasionally the spotlight) with its yellow-clad counterpart for generations.

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Two Almanacs, Two Histories

It’s easy to see how the confusion started. Both almanacs have been around for more than 200 years. Both promise eerily accurate weather forecasts and homespun life advice. And both have become treasured parts of rural Americana — printed time capsules of old-world charm.

But they’re not the same book, nor were they ever published by the same company.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the bright yellow edition, was founded in 1792 by Robert B. Thomas in Massachusetts. It’s known for its yellow cover, astronomical charts, and iconic motto:

“Useful, with a pleasant degree of humor.”

Its rival, The Farmers’ Almanac, came later — in 1818, created by David Young and Jacob Mann in Maine. Its hallmark has always been its orange and green cover, and its emphasis on “secrets of nature and living by the moon.”

So when reports emerged that “the Farmers’ Almanac will cease publication after 208 years,” many people missed that subtle but crucial article — the Old Farmer’s vs Farmers’. The internet did what it does best: mix, multiply, and mislead.

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Who’s Actually Shutting Down?

The publication that’s closing is the Farmers’ Almanac, the one based in Lewiston, Maine — not the Old Farmer’s Almanac based in Dublin, New Hampshire.

The Maine publisher announced that its 2026 issue will be its final edition, ending an unbroken run that dates back to the early 19th century. Editors cited rising printing costs, shifts in readership, and the move toward digital weather tools as reasons for wrapping up.

“After 208 years, it’s bittersweet,” said a spokesperson. “We’ve loved being part of people’s lives, but the world has changed — and it’s time.”

It’s the end of a remarkable era for one of the longest-running continuously published periodicals in America.

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Meanwhile, the Old Farmer’s Almanac Carries On

Over in New Hampshire, however, The Old Farmer’s Almanac is thriving. The publisher confirmed that the beloved yellow edition — with its gardening charts, recipes, astronomy notes, and famously cryptic weather predictions — remains very much alive.

“We’re still planting, predicting, and publishing,” said Janice Stillman, the editor. “The Old Farmer’s Almanac will continue as it always has — with a little humor and a lot of heart.”

The 2026 edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac is already in production, with forecasts stretching into 2027. Its website, mobile app, and newsletters reach millions of readers each year, showing that the almanac has adapted to the digital age better than many expected.

In other words, the quaint yellow booklet that has guided farmers, gardeners, and romantics under the stars for generations is not shutting down — it’s simply watching one of its oldest companions take a final bow.

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A Rivalry Rooted in Americana

The friendly rivalry between the two publications has been a quirky part of American folklore for centuries. While The Old Farmer’s Almanac prides itself on science and tradition — its forecasts calculated by a secret formula using sunspot activity, tides, and planetary motion — the Farmers’ Almanac leaned more on folklore, intuition, and lunar cycles.

For decades, readers would compare predictions side by side: whose winter forecast would prove truer? Who predicted the hurricane more accurately?

Both became icons in their own right. They graced kitchen counters, hardware store shelves, and general stores from Maine to California. Farmers swore by them. Grandparents passed them down. Children flipped through their pages for jokes and riddles.

The end of one marks the fading of a uniquely American publishing duel — a friendly feud that lasted two centuries.

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Why the Confusion Matters

In an era of fast information and faster misinformation, the almanac mix-up feels almost poetic. Two nearly identical names, two nearly identical missions — and one headline misunderstood by millions.

It’s a gentle reminder that even in the digital age, words matter. “The Farmers’ Almanac” and “The Old Farmer’s Almanac” aren’t interchangeable. To old-school readers, they’re as different as Coke and Pepsi — and equally passionate fan bases exist for both.

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The Legacy Lives On

Though one almanac prepares to close, both share a legacy far greater than ink and paper. For centuries, they’ve offered something rare: a moment of stillness in a restless world. Between tips on moon planting and proverbs about patience, they’ve quietly taught generations that life follows rhythms — of weather, of nature, of time.

So yes, one beloved almanac is shutting down — but the other remains bright and buzzing with life. The yellow-covered Old Farmer’s Almanac continues to rise with the sun, one page at a time, carrying forward an American tradition that has never lost its charm.

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Final Thought

In an age where apps give second-by-second forecasts, there’s something comforting about flipping open a century-old booklet and reading, “Snow in February means good crops in June.”

The Old Farmer’s Almanac endures because it’s more than a weather guide — it’s a yearly ritual, a friendly voice from the past whispering, “The world changes, but nature’s wisdom endures.”

And that wisdom, bound in yellow, isn’t closing its cover anytime soon.

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