After 200 years, the Farmers’ Almanac bets on a digital reboot and new owner

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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Farmers' Almanac isn't going out of business after all, but it is leaving Maine for the bright lights of New York City and a new owner.

Beloved by farmers and gardeners, the almanac was first printed in 1818 and — like the arguably more famous Old Farmer’s Almanac — relies on a secret formula of sunspots, planetary positions and lunar cycles to generate long-range weather forecasts.

It's been acquired by Unofficial Networks, a digital publisher focused on skiing and outdoor recreation. That means the almanac will keep operating despite announcing in November that its 208-year run was coming to an end.

A new Farmers’ Almanac website will be “a living, breathing publication with fresh, daily content” and there are plans to bring back a print edition, said Tim Konrad, founder and publisher of New York-based Unofficial Networks.

“I saw the announcement that one of America’s most enduring publications was set to close,” Konrad said, “and it felt wrong to stand by while an irreplaceable piece of our national heritage disappeared.”

The deal will prioritize “preserving and sustaining the iconic publication,” according to a statement from Unofficial Networks and Peter Geiger, the almanac's longtime publisher.

The Farmers’ Almanac was founded in New Jersey before moving its headquarters to Lewiston, Maine, in 1955. The Old Farmer’s Almanac is based in New Hampshire.

Over the years, scientists have sometimes chafed at the publications' predictions. Studies of their accuracy have found them to be a little more than 50% accurate. That is about on par with random chance.

But Geiger, whose family had the Farmers' Almanac for more than 90 years, said they're “going out a winner” by having predicted a cold and snowy 2026.

“For more than 200 years, the values and wisdom of the Farmers’ Almanac have been protected and nurtured by four owner-publishers," Geiger said. "I am grateful to have found the right next custodian in Tim Konrad. I am also confident he will honor its heritage and carry it forward for generations to come.”

Unofficial Networks was started in 2006 by Konrad and his brother John in a California basement, according to the company's website.