How the Humble Groundhog Became the Prince of Prognostication

Plus, weather folklore, the Almanac’s weather prediction, when to plant for spring, and more!

 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Thank you, Chris Ambrose in Holy Hill, Wisconsin, for this week's cover image! Here at The Old Farmer’s Almanac, we’re fascinated by all of the ways that people use to predict the weather. While our own forecasts are based on several scientific disciplines, our editors have also been known to dig into folklore and more that has been used for generations to judge the coming harshness of winter or heat of summer.   One of the longest-standing weather prognosticators still working today is that regent of rodent royalty, Punxsutawney Phil, who is said to predict wintry conditions for 6 more weeks or an early arrival of spring, depending on whether he casts a shadow at first emergence from his burrow or doesn’t, respectively. This is a story that we all know (there’s even a beloved movie!), but how did a groundhog come to wield so much fame and prognosticating power?   The date of Groundhog Day—February 2—is what is known in astronomy as a “cross-quarter day”—that is, it occurs at the midpoint between a solstice and an equinox. In this case, in the Northern Hemisphere, these are the winter solstice and the spring equinox.   This halfway point in the season—when there are about 6 weeks left until the official start of spring—is often symbolically seen as when light and life begin to win over the cold and darkness. It has been recognized by many cultures for generations by various names, including the Celtic holiday Imbolc, and Candlemas, the Christian festival of light. Celebrations often included looking to nature and animals for signs of the coming season. In France and England, bears brought the forecast; in Germany, it was badgers.   When German immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania in the 1800s, they found no badgers, but there were plenty of groundhogs. The old ways were adapted for a new land and, eventually, Punxsutawney Phil became the stuff of legend.   While we’re big fans of tradition, when Phil pokes his head out on February 2, don’t be too disappointed if his prediction isn’t what you want to hear. Phil’s pretty enduring, but he isn’t much of a weatherman: He’s correct only about 39 percent of the time.   One thing that we can be sure of is that spring will arrive on Saturday, March 20. This occurs with the spring equinox, when the Sun crosses the celestial equator while heading from south to north.   With the official start of spring still weeks away, be prepared for what Mother Nature throws your way with our long-range weather forecasts!   Finally, all this talk of spring has us thinking about getting back outside and into the garden! If you’re feeling the same but aren’t sure where (or when) to start, check out our free Vegetable Planting Calendar. It’s simple to use: Enter your zip or postal code and get the best dates—based on data from thousands of weather station reports—to start seeds indoors and out, as well as when to plant seedlings or transplants, for dozens of the most popular vegetables.   Want to take your garden planning even further? Plan your dream landscape with our Garden Planner app. Try it for free! As sure as the Sun will rise and set each day, The Old Farmer’s Almanac is here for you, now and always.   Your Friends from The Old Farmer’s Almanac “This is the one time when television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather.” –Phil Connors, fictional Pittsburgh TV weatherman, as played by Bill Murray in the film Groundhog Day FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @THEOLDFARMERSALMANAC Learn more about this curious holiday. WHAT WE'RE DOING THIS WEEK CELEBRATING GROUNDHOG DAY REVEALING HOW THE ALMANAC PREDICTS THE WEATHER AWAITING THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING CHECKING WHEN TO PLANT THE SPRING VEGETABLE GARDEN Visit Almanac.com Shop Our Store New to this newsletter? It’s free! Sign up here. You received this email because you signed for updates from The Old Farmer's Almanac. If you do not wish to receive our regular e-mail newsletter in the future, please click here to manage preferences. *Please do not reply to this e-mail* © 2021 Yankee Publishing Inc. An Employee-Owned Company 1121 Main Street | P.O. Box 520 | Dublin, NH 03444 Contact Us View web version

The secret to small-space crop rotation

Discover more of the Old Farmer’s Almanac you know and love.

 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Having trouble viewing this email? View this email on the web. The Secrets to Small-Space Crop Rotation Discover more of The Old Farmer’s Almanac you know and love. Dear Friend,   Pests. Disease. Depleted soil. You already know these aren’t good for your garden. You also probably know that crop rotation is supposed to help. Moving plants gives the soil time to replenish nutrients, confuses pests, and kills off diseases in the soil. That’s easy enough if you have acres and acres of crops. Most of us, however, don’t have acres and acres of crops.   Even in a small space, though, crop rotation is both helpful and possible. One simple way for average gardeners to organize a crop rotation is to divide the garden into quarters and rotate your crops around a central point each year.   If you don’t have an abundance of room, however, or if you have a disproportionate amount of a few vegetables as compared to others, you can still rotate crops. For example, if you have crops like corn that are heavy feeders, be sure to rotate them with nitrogen-fixing crops like peas or beans. Of course, whether you rotate your crops or not, one way you can improve your soil and have a much healthier garden is by adding compost. That’s a sure way to add the microorganisms and organic matter to your garden.   An even better way is to take full advantage of EXTRA!, from The Old Farmer’s Almanac. EXTRA! is our monthly digital magazine that we send exclusively to you with your membership in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club. Not only that, but you can read the entire library of EXTRA! issues – that’s more than five years of gardening tips, humor, recipes, tips for natural living, and fun facts.   Plus each issue includes timely astronomy information, weather forecasts, and astrology, so you know exactly when to look to the skies for a meteor shower, expect rain, or plan to go fishing. Here’s a brief glance at more of what you can enjoy. 2021 Almanac is Ready Now! Save 57% with a Charter Membership in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club! Get Your Special Pass to the World's Most Beloved Almanac! Save 57% when you claim your Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership—become a Charter Member today! Yes! Sign me up now! Your Chicken Is Smarter Than You Realize In the animal kingdom, we don’t usually think of chickens as the brightest creatures. Dolphins, dogs, and even crows are lauded for their intelligence. Chickens, though? It turns out, you can train your chicken to come when you call it. In many cases, you can train a chicken even faster than you can train a dog. All you need is a hungry chicken and a supply of chicken feed. It doesn’t take long, either. Just two or three days of short training sessions and your fine feathered friend will come clucking right over whenever you call. You can get all the details in the November 2020 edition of EXTRA!, with one exception - you’re on your own for naming the chicken. The Delightful And Delicious Dandelion Way back in April 2016 we published a story about the weed everyone loves to hate: the dandelion. The thing is, cultures around the world use every part of the dandelion as both nutritious food and powerful medicine. And believe it or not, they’re good for your garden in small doses. The bright yellow flowers attract pollinators in the spring and provide an important early nectar source for butterflies. On the dinner table, young dandelion greens are great with a salad. You can also cook them with chopped onions and garlic, or add dandelions to a spring tonic soup with young nettles, parsley, spinach, kale, and chard. There is, however, a trick to harvesting these culinary and agricultural delights. For that, you’ll have to read EXTRA! You’ll get all the details, plus access to some exciting recipes, like Fried Dandelion Blossoms, Dandelion Syrup, and Pink Dandelion Wine. All of this is yours right away with your Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership! Along with 60 + issues (and growing) of EXTRA! digital magazines, you get the latest hardcover edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac, a dramatic, full-color 2021 Weather Wall Calendar, a printed version of The Old Farmer’s Almanac from 1821, as well as a copy of the 1921 Almanac. 2021 Almanac is Ready Now! Save 57% with a Charter Membership in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club! Get Your Special Pass to the World's Most Beloved Almanac! Save 57% when you claim your Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership—become a Charter Member today! Yes! Sign me up now!  With an Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership, you get all the wit, wisdom, gardening tips, recipes, weather, folklore, and fun you expect from North America’s oldest and most popular farmers’ almanac!   This is all just a few clicks away. With an Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership, you can enjoy the entire library of EXTRA! where you’ll learn more about:   The mythological creatures and supernatural beings that early astronomers were documenting at least 7,000 years ago The invention of the first terrarium in the 1800s and how you can make your own Winter stress remedies Tasty ways to get more vegetables on your plate Easy-to-grow early season vegetables The centuries-long evolution of the barn   The complete library of our monthly digital magazine, EXTRA!, is ready and waiting for you. That’s over 60 issues, with new issues added every month. Don’t miss out! 2021 Almanac is Ready Now! Save 57% with a Charter Membership in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club! Get Your Special Pass to the World's Most Beloved Almanac! Save 57% when you claim your Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership—become a Charter Member today! Yes! Sign me up now! NEW FOR 2021! Get full access to everything under the Sun, including the Moon, weather, vegetable and flower gardening, folklore, nature, home remedies, and more—with your Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership! Introducing The Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership! This new and exciting club is designed especially for you—and it’s packed with articles, advice, best days, facts, and fun that you cannot get anywhere else!   Your Charter Membership gives you all the elements of a true almanac—a “calendar of the heavens” and a “time capsule of the year” for 2021, plus some fantastic bonuses when you join today. More about those bonuses in a minute.   Since 1792—in fact, every day since!—The Old Farmer’s Almanac has been trusted and enjoyed by folks from all walks of life: people who grow their own food depend on the planting dates; home cooks, gardeners, and folks hungry for something quick and delicious love the recipes; just about everybody checks on the Moon phases and sunrise and set times … as well as the weather forecasts … to know what to expect on any given day, week, month, or season. With The Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership, you’ll have content that is both useful and humorous. You’ll discover quirky facts, timeless adages and advice, amusing quotes and profound proverbs, contests, Anecdotes and Pleasantries, Best Days to do things (from fishing to weaning from planting to setting eggs, for example), and so much more! Your Charter Membership gives you everything that you’ve come to expect and depend on in an Almanac—valuable and accurate content and advice. In fact, fulfillment of readers’ expectations has made our Almanac the best-known and most sought after Almanac for generations. Did you know? The Old Farmer’s Almanac is the oldest continuously published periodical in North America! We got started with this valuable content in 1792—when George Washington was president and the U.S. Post Office Department was first established . . . and we’ve been at it ever since then, for more than 228 years! Save 57% with a Charter Membership in The Old Farmer's Almanac Best Value Club! Get Your Special Pass—Access to the World's Most Beloved Almanac! Save 57% when you claim your Old Farmer's Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership—become a Charter Member today! Yes! Sign me up now! People always ask how and why our Almanac has lasted—and continues to be a best seller. The answer is simple: We stay true to the original mission of founder Robert B. Thomas, who declared in an early edition, “Our main endeavour is to be useful, with a pleasant degree of humor.”  We believe that, especially in today’s trying times, finding humor and enjoyment in daily life is important and can be uplifting, and we hope you like our light-hearted fun and find the joy in chuckling at our witty and inspiring words. This will make you smile, too: Every edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac is fresh, new, and designed to make the year one of the best ever. How do we do that? With entertaining and informative articles. With your Charter Membership, you’ll be able to read about:   Hot trends for 2021: Forecasts, fats, and fascinating ideas that define our life and times, including food and cooking, pets, money matters, home-design trends, health issues, home farming, and culture. How to pick a pet: The pros and cons of dogs, cats, fish, and birds. Time-tested tips for fighting colds and flu. Love lessons from old valentines — how sweet nothings from the past can provide prescient pointers for the present.  How to grow beautiful wildflowers on your property.   Special report on "Farming for Good": Farmers from around the country share their stories, inspirations, dreams, and advice about farming as a living. And more—almost 300 pages of riveting content! Plus, charts, maps, and photos bring it all to life for you—making every article and every table easy to understand and follow. But that’s just the beginning! Here’s just some of what else you’ll discover in the 2021 Almanac:   Beyond the Pumpkin Patch: Secrets for growing success with pumpkins, radishes, and squash. The Star-Spangled School Project: Everything you need to know about how the American flag was first created and changed over time. When Predators Come Calling: What to expect and what to do when you have wild animals in your backyard or barnyard. Ace the Small Space: All you need to know about growing food in an area of almost any size. "Appetizers" Recipe Contest: See the winners and get the recipes for "Buffalo Eggs," "Stuffed Jalapenos," Spicy Mexican Shrimp Bites," and "Zippy Potato Balls." Birds on the Wing: Facts and fallacies about avian migration. Test your "Sky-Q": Take this quiz to gauge your knowledge of the universe. Become the best Stone Skimmer: The most practiced sport in the world that doesn't require any fancy gear. Hockey Pucks: A special report on hockey's little black disk — there's more to the puck than meets the ice! Zodiac Signs: Learn all the key behavior traits of every astrological sign, so you can play to people's strengths and expectations — all based on their zodiac sign. All this and too much more to mention for nearly 300 pages of riveting content! Plus, the Almanac’s easy-to-follow charts, maps, and photos bring it all to life for you—making it all easy to understand and use. Save 57% with a Charter Membership in The Old Farmer's Almanac Best Value Club! Get Your Special Pass— Access to the World's Most Beloved Almanac! Save 57% when you claim your Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership—become a Charter Member today! Yes! Sign me up now! An Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership will deliver exciting rewards for you—and for a special introductory rate right now, to all new Charter Members. When you join today, you’ll ensure that you get the latest details about Almanac events and forecasts—and you’ll enjoy all these benefits:   Your best garden ever—Almanac gardening advice, planting dates, time-saving tips, and detailed guidance from experts will get you growing like never before. You’ll know in advance about every important astronomical event in 2021—when they’re happening, where in the sky, and the details and delights of each one. You’ll have access to the world’s best source of Almanac content—from astronomy and weather to anniversaries and milestone dates; from important (and little known) holidays and religious events to traditional days in calendar folklore. You’ll save time and money when you follow all the practical advice and tips that we deliver to you about everything from gardening to food preparation and cooking. You’ll be a weather expert in your family and circle of friends—no one else you know will have the detailed knowledge about forecasting and weather that you’ll have . . . and for every region of the country! How can you not consider becoming an Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Member? What you’ll get with an Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership. When you claim your Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership today, your Charter membership will include:   The Old Farmer’s 2021 Almanac—Our newest edition, the hard-copy version will be shipped to you with everything you’ve come to expect from the world’s premier almanac. The Old Farmer’s Almanac 2021 Weather Wall Calendar. Enjoy stunning photography of spectacular weather around the world month after month. The Old Farmer’s Almanac 1821 edition—A printed version will be shipped to you with your order. Take a trip down memory lane and see what one of our early Almanacs looked like! It’s a time capsule of life 200 years ago! The Old Farmer’s Almanac 1921 edition—A printed version will be shipped to you with your order. Another classic Almanac, this takes you back a century: Compare the content then and now! The Old Farmer’s Almanac EXTRA! —A treasure trove of digital updates and Almanac content not found in the printed edition, including audio and video multimedia content. EXTRA! is far more interactive and fun than plain printed pages! BONUS: Complete access to our EXTRA! library, with 40+ digital issues at your fingertips any time! New Year's Bonus: The Old Farmer's Almanac 2021 Engagement Calendar New Year's Bonus: The Old Farmer's Almanac Garden Guide And all of this is available to you—right now—when you claim your Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership.   What are you waiting for? This Charter Membership offer is in effect for you right now! No other Almanac has so many fun and fascinating facts, timely and accurate events and predictions, and topical and useful articles all in one place for your easy access and use—and covering more regions of North America than any other almanac or resource! Save 57% with a Charter Membership in The Old Farmer's Almanac Best Value Club! Get Your Special Pass—Access to the World's Most Beloved Almanac! Save 57% when you claim your Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership—become a Charter Member today! Yes! Sign me up now! Why not join right now? Gardeners, weather and sky watchers, and nature lovers everywhere have been enjoying The Old Farmer’s Almanac for generations, and now it’s easier than ever for YOU to experience it all with an Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership.   When we created this new club for folks like you, we wanted to make it easy to use, easy to order, and packed with content and value—that’s why we named it the “Best Value Club”! The Almanac is the ultimate resource for gardening, astronomy, folklore, nature, and more, and now it can be all yours with your Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership. Special Introductory Offer is Now in Effect — 57% Discount — PLUS two free New Year's bonuses! Special limited-time Charter Membership offer for you right now! When you respond today, you’ll be among a select group of Almanac friends to take advantage of this special Charter Membership offer. Activate your Charter Membership in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club today, and you’ll get access to unique almanac content that you can’t find anywhere else—plus five bonuses! Join other weather and astronomy watchers, gardeners, nature and food lovers, and trivia fans—for 57% off when you respond today! This is a limited-time offer that you should take advantage of right now. Why not be among the first—gardeners in your neighborhood; weather and astronomy watchers under the Sun; cooks in your community; trivia fans in your circle; nature-lovers in your area—to join us today and benefit from all the valuable Almanac information that you simply cannot get anywhere else? Become an Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Member today—while this special offer lasts! Sincerely, Janice Stillman Editor, The Old Farmer’s Almanac P.S. You should act today to claim your Charter Membership in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club—including your 2021 issue of the Almanac …and your bonuses, too! Save 57% with a Charter Membership in The Old Farmer's Almanac Best Value Club! Get Your Special Pass—Access to the World's Most Beloved Almanac! Save 57% when you claim your Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership—become a Charter Member today! Yes! Sign me up now! We reserve the right to substitute items based on availability. New to this newsletter? It’s free! Sign up here. You are receiving this e-mail message because you subscribed to The Almanac. If you do not wish to receive our regular e-mail newsletter in the future, please click here to manage preferences. *Please do not reply to this e-mail* To report corrections or inquire about your account, products, editorial, technical issues, Contact Us © 2021 Yankee Publishing Inc. An Employee-Owned Company 1121 Main Street P.O. Box 520 Dublin, NH 03444 View web version