As to why we always get it, is as Jean said one time: "that's the way we always do it." I think we all read it during the winter. Do we go by what it says? Sometimes we do and sometimes we don't.
There was a time, when most farmers used the Farmer's Almanac as the way they did their farming. You plant certain crops at a certain moon or day or whatever. That's why, I believe, the Amish and Old Order Mennonites have such sayings or folks wisdom, such as: A warm June brings an early harvest or plant potatoes on Good Friday or plant lettuce on St. Patrick's Day, and more. Some even believe in planting certain plants at certain times of the moon.
Albert, Jean's Grandfather, remembers when he was boy when most of the Old Order Mennonites did that as my Father told me when he was young about the Amish doing it. Albert said when he was young the Farmer's Almanac was like law. You did what it said.
They believed the weather by the Farmer's Almanac, too. But, I think things have changed for the most now. No, we don't have radios or televisions, but we still read the weather fore cast in the paper. The Farmer's Almanac isn's always right about the weather, but again, neither is the newspaper. Only God knows what the weather is going to be day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute.
Now all that said, do I do some of the traditions like plowing the first snow into the fields. Sure do, do it every year. Will it help the soil? I don't know, but I know it won't hurt it any. Do I like to plant the potatoes on Good Friday? Usually not all of them, but some of them. Are they better than the rest of the potatoes we plant later? Maybe it's all in the mind, but we think so. Is the lettuce any better we plant on St. Patrick's Day than the rest? Again, it might be our minds, but we think so.
Regarding the Farmer's Almanac for the 2016, it says it will be a hard winter like last year especially from January to the first half of March. Only time and the good Lord will show us if it true or not.
Trust God's Wisdom,
Elmer
10 comments:
I know many folks who would be lost with The Farmer's Almanac. Tom The Backroads Traveller
Good morning, Marilyn. Interesting. There are quite a few farmers and ranchers in my family. Some read the Farmer's Almanac, but not as many as in my Dad's day. We have several friends that "read" nature...such as, extra acorns on the oak trees, extra rain this year. My dad was known to "find water" with two metal rods. It is called water dowsing. When the rods crossed, there was your water! Yes, it did work. Was it a coincidence? I don't know, but that's how we put in several wells.
Good Morning Tom,
Do you mean with or without? I had an uncle who was a farmer and he always used the Farmer's Almanac. That was Elmer said like law to him.
Marilyn
Good Morning Angela,
My Dad was in the Real Estate business. When he sold a lot and someone wanted to know where the water was, my Dad use to do what your Dad did. It always worked, he was never wrong. My Dad use to use a tree limb with two branches on it. When they went down that was it. I remember he use to carry it in the car with all his other Real Estate material. I don't know how it worked, but it always did.
Marilyn
I lived most of my life in NY and now in the Midwest, you never know what the weather will be like here. But I have to say weather has been milder for us then in the past. I think birds know better then us.
Gisela
gasuski@mac.com
Good Morning Gisela,
This past winter was worse in our area of New York than it had been in many years. They say, it is suppose to again. I agree with you and the birds.
Marilyn
Some of the planting advice makes sense to me, like using St. Pat's Day which is always the same date. I do struggle with the Good Friday planting advice since that day can vary SO MUCH between the years, so can be really early or really late. Happy gardening, Elmer and thanks for sharing, Marilyn!
Deb in Kansas
My in-laws certainly read the Farmer's Almanac. My MIL would talk about planting certain vegetables according to whether it was the dark of the moon or not. My family always had a garden when I was growing up but I don't remember every hearing about the Almanac. Thanks to Elmer for sharing and it was interesting to read.
Hi Deb,
I will see that Elmer gets your message. I don't do any planting, but I know the fellow upstairs of me, does certain things and certain time of the spring.
Marilyn
Hi dynnamae n,
My parents use to have a garden when I was growing up, too. I don't remember if they used the Farmer's Almanac or not. Many people do go by certain times of the moon. Will see that Elmer gets your message.
Marilyn
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