The Old Farmers Almanac

What The Old Farmers Almanac does

The Old Farmer's Almanac is a privately held, employee-owned American publishing company founded in 1792 by Robert B. Thomas and operated through its parent, Yankee Publishing Inc., headquartered in Dublin, New Hampshire. It produces the oldest continuously published periodical in North America, the annual Old Farmer's Almanac, alongside the Garden Guide (annual gardening magazine), the biennial Almanac for Kids, a portfolio of wall calendars (Gardening, Weather, Moon, Country), gardening handbooks, journals, and planners. The company also maintains Almanac.com, a digital platform reaching more than 50 million annual visitors with free long-range weather forecasts, planting calendars, frost-date maps, a Garden Planner software tool, growing guides, recipes, and a daily newsletter delivered to roughly 500,000 subscribers.

The company's core proprietary technology is a long-range weather forecasting methodology using a secret formula developed by its founder, combining solar science, historical weather data, and lunar and tidal patterns to produce region-specific forecasts up to 18 months in advance across 18 U.S. regions and Canada. Digital tools include ZIP-code-based planting calendars, last-frost-date maps, and an online garden planner. The company states it has never missed an annual edition in 234 years of publication.

The Old Farmer's Almanac earns revenue through a diversified model: one-time product sales (annual almanac at $8-$12 retail, calendars at ~$12, handbooks at $12-$20, kids' editions at $12) distributed through 500+ retail partners including Target, Walmart, Kroger, Barnes & Noble, Tractor Supply, and Ace Hardware; direct-to-consumer e-commerce via store.almanac.com; annual subscriptions for print delivery; education bulk-pricing (up to 50% off for schools); and digital advertising, sponsored content, and newsletter sponsorships on Almanac.com. Customers are primarily individual U.S. and Canadian households across horizontal segments including home gardeners, weather planners, astronomy enthusiasts, home cooks, DIY enthusiasts, and natural-health consumers, with home gardeners as the primary segment representing 86% of the audience.

Name

The Old Farmers Almanac

Legal name

Yankee Publishing Inc.

Website

https://almanac.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1792

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Old Farmer's Almanac is a 234-year-old employee-owned publishing company producing an annual almanac, Garden Guide, calendars, and handbooks, plus digital weather forecasts and gardening tools, serving home gardeners, weather planners, and rural consumers across North America through retail and direct e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Literary & Classics Publishing (MPAJAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s Reference & Encyclopedias (Dictionaries, Atlases) (EDAGAIAD), Agriculture, Environmental & Earth Sciences (EDAGABAL)

Keywords

• Annual almanac publishing
• Long-range weather forecasting
• Gardening publications
• Astronomical calendars
• Rural lifestyle content

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Annual Almanac Sales: Sale of the flagship annual Old Farmer's Almanac publication, published every year since 1792. The 2027 edition releases September 1, 2026. Also available in a large-format easy-to-read edition. Sold through retail partners and direct online store.
2. Garden Guide: Annual premium gardening magazine published in February each year, with full-color pages covering vegetables, flowers, fruits, herbs, and seasonal advice. Sold through retail and direct.
3. Calendars: Sales of annual wall calendars including Gardening Calendar, Moon Calendar, Weather Calendar, and Country Calendar. Sold individually and as counter/floor display bundles for retail.
4. Books and Handbooks: Specialty books and handbooks including the Vegetable Gardener's Handbook, Flower Gardener's Handbook, Container Gardener's Handbook, Guide to Herbs, Garden Journal, Everyday Calendar, and Planner. Published annually or periodically.
5. Almanac for Kids: The Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids, a children's edition published every two years (Volume 11 released 2026), targeted at ages 8 and up.
6. Subscriptions: Annual subscriptions for the print almanac delivered to consumers, available through the online store.
7. Digital Advertising and Sponsorships: Integrated native advertising, sponsored content, display advertising, and newsletter sponsorships on Almanac.com (44 million annual users) and in digital publications including the Garden Guide and Annual Almanac digital editions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Old Farmer's Almanac publishes a flagship annual almanac (continuously since 1792) supplemented by the Garden Guide annual magazine, the biennial Almanac for Kids, multiple wall calendars, gardening handbooks, and digital tools. Its digital platform Almanac.com offers long-range weather forecasts, planting calendars, frost-date tools, growing guides, and a daily newsletter, reaching over 50 million annual visitors. The company distributes through retail partners across North America and via a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store.

Product overview

The Old Farmer's Almanac operates as a multi-product publishing company with a flagship annual publication (The Old Farmer's Almanac, published since 1792) supplemented by the Garden Guide annual magazine, the biennial Almanac for Kids, and various calendars (Gardening, Weather, Moon, Country). The company also publishes specialized gardening handbooks (Vegetable, Flower, Container) and planning tools (Garden Planner software, Garden Journal, Planners). The digital platform Almanac.com extends the brand with free online weather forecasts, planting calendars, frost date tools, growing guides, and a daily newsletter, serving over 50 million annual visitors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Old Farmer's Almanac Store: Online retail store for almanac products including annual editions, calendars, garden guides, and specialty books.
• Garden Guide
• The Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids
• Almanac Daily Newsletter

Products and services

• The Old Farmer's Almanac (Annual Edition) The flagship annual publication, continuously published since 1792, featuring long-range weather forecasts, astronomical data, planting calendars, folk wisdom, recipes, and seasonal advice. Sold via retail and direct e-commerce, with approximately 2.5 million print copies per edition.
• The Old Farmer's Almanac 2027 Edition Upcoming annual edition of the flagship almanac, containing long-range weather forecasts and the publication's traditional mix of gardening, astronomy, recipes, and folklore.
• Garden Guide Annual premium gardening magazine published each February with all-new articles in full color, devoted to gardening tips, vegetable preparation, and DIY sections. Circulation of approximately 215,000 copies.
• The Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids (Volume 11) Biennial children's edition of the almanac for ages 8 and up, featuring weather, sports, astronomy, history, nature, pets, and activities.
• Gardening Calendar Annual wall calendar featuring seasonal gardening advice, folklore, fun facts, quotes, best planting days for vegetables and grains by region, and Moon phases. Available for over 40 years.
• Weather Calendar Annual wall calendar featuring weather photos from around the world with interesting weather-related facts for every month.
• Moon Calendar Annual wall calendar featuring monthly photos of the Moon along with facts and Moon lore, including Best Days for fishing, camping, and other activities.
• Country Calendar Full-color annual wall calendar featuring country photos with country wisdom and reflections, including Best Days for Fishing, Planting, Setting Eggs, and more.
• Vegetable Gardener's Handbook Comprehensive gardening guide with step-by-step advice for success with more than 30 vegetables, observation space, reference charts, and preservation methods. Now in its eighth printing.
• Flower Gardener's Handbook Practical guide for developing and nurturing a flower garden that is delightful to behold and easy to maintain, with time-saving tips and proven techniques.
• Container Gardener's Handbook Complete guide to successfully growing vegetables, fruit, herbs, ornamentals, and containers for indoors and out, featuring photos and expert guidance.
• Guide to Herbs Full-color 112-page guide exploring how to grow, cook, craft, and heal with more than two dozen herbs.
• The Garden Planner (Digital Tool) Garden planning and design software available at gardenplanner.almanac.com, enabling users to plan and design their gardens digitally.
• Garden Journal Undated annual journal providing perennial beauty and inspiration for recording observations, ideas, and special memories. Spiral-bound, 6" x 9" full-color format with 112 pages.
• The Old Farmer's Almanac 2027 Planner Full-color desk planner with monthly labeled tabs, open spiral binding, lore, quirky historical facts, and timeless proverbs. Hardcover with 140 pages.
• 2027 Everyday Calendar Boxed page-per-day calendar featuring daily doses of lore, quirky historical facts, or timeless proverbs in full color with plastic easel back.
• Almanac Daily Newsletter Free daily email newsletter delivering timely tips, wisdom, seasonal advice about weather, nature, astronomy, gardening, food, home remedies, and humor. Delivered to 500,000+ engaged subscribers and includes a free Beginner Gardening Guide signup bonus.
• Almanac Annual Subscriptions Annual print subscription for The Old Farmer's Almanac delivered to consumers, available through the online store.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50 million+ annual website visitors actively planning gardens, checking weather, and using tools
• +5 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Better Homes & Gardens (Dotdash Meredith): Leading consumer gardening and home reference media brand with magazines, digital content, and books. Directly comparable garden-focused audience and overlapping weather/outdoor living content, though distributed by a much larger media conglomerate.
• Cool Springs Press (Quarto Group): Major publisher of gardening, home improvement, and outdoor reference books. Directly comparable publishing of gardening handbooks (vegetable, flower, container guides), leveraging a trusted publisher brand across the same bookstore and retail channels.
• Rodale / Hearst Lifestyle Group: Organic gardening, wellness, and self-sufficiency publishing brand (Prevention, Rodale's Organic Life) now under Hearst. Comparable in health-conscious, organic/natural-living editorial positioning and overlapping gardening and natural-remedy content verticals.
• National Geographic Partners: Iconic multi-channel reference publisher producing magazines, digital content, and special editions on natural science, weather, and astronomy. Comparable in legacy brand strength, broad reference topic coverage, and premium subscription model.
• Reader's Digest (Trusted Media Brands): Mass-market consumer reference periodical sold via subscription and newsstand with curated content across multiple lifestyle topics. Closest analog in terms of multi-topic reference publishing, broad consumer reach, and direct-to-consumer subscription model.

Direct peers

• Burpee (W. Atlee Burpee & Co.): Heritage gardening brand selling seeds, plants, and gardening reference content directly to home gardeners. Overlaps on gardening expertise, gardener-targeted content marketing, and direct-to-consumer catalog/retail distribution.
• Farmers' Almanac: Direct competitor publishing an annual almanac with long-range weather forecasts, gardening advice, and folklore for North America since 1818. Operates nearly identical product category and target audience as The Old Farmer's Almanac.
• Horticulture Magazine: Long-running gardening-focused magazine and digital publication serving enthusiast home gardeners with growing guides, plant advice, and seasonal content. Comparable gardening-specialist editorial positioning and subscriber model.

Others

• Yankee Magazine: Sister publication of The Old Farmer's Almanac under Yankee Publishing Inc., covering New England lifestyle, food, and travel. Shared publisher, distribution infrastructure, and editorial platform make it ecosystem-related rather than competitive.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/almanac
• YouTubeinstagram.com/theoldfarmersalmanac
• Facebookfacebook.com/theoldfarmersalmanac
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/old-farmers-almanac
• Instagraminstagram.com/theoldfarmersalmanac
• Pinterestpinterest.com/almanac

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Old Farmers Almanac