The same year that the U.S. Postal Service, National Mint, and New York Stock Exchange began, Robert B. Thomas published the Old Farmer’s Almanac in Massachusetts. There were dozens of almanacs predicting weather and guiding farmers in those days. But Thomas’s almanac outlasted them to become the United States’ longest-running periodical. It’s also Yankee Publishing’s largest circulation publication and makes its way onto bestseller lists for reference books annually.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac gained quick popularity for several reasons.
1) Accuracy. The success of his secret weather forecasting formula was calculated to be 80%.
2) Entertainment. The Old Farmer’s Almanac is amusing. Thomas said that the Almanac “strives to be useful but with a pleasant degree of humor.”
3) Reliable. Though the Almanac’s 14 editors have experimented with new features and formats over the years, much of Almanac is the same as it has been for at least the last 150 years.
Today, you’ll find information on weather forecasts, gardening advice, astrology and astronomy, cooking, holiday history and more.
A New England classic
The Old Farmer’s Almanac moved to New Hampshire in 1939, when Robb Sagendorph purchased it four years after he created Yankee Magazine. He believed New Englanders needed a magazine “for Yankee readers, by Yankee writers, and about Yankee-dom.”
Yankee Magazine, founded amid the Great Depression, survived World War II as a small newsletter, while the Almanac carried on with “indications” instead of “forecasts.”
The 1950s saw Yankee’s circulation hit 40,000, and by the 1970s it was 400,000. By the 1980s, it hit a peak of over a million readers.
With storytelling at its heart, Yankee shares tales of New England travel, entertainment, food and other cultural touchpoints.
Publisher Brook Homberg said, “Yankee is that postcard from home.”
Publications join forces
In 2013, Yankee bought the publications of McLean Communications, including the New Hampshire Business Review and New Hampshire Magazine, which got their starts in Nashua in the 1970s and ‘80s, respectively. 603 Diversity, NH Bride, NH Home and the upcoming Run NH joined that netword of publications.
New Hampshire Business Review focuses on breaking news, features and commentary geared to business leaders.
While New Hampshire Magazine’s origins were also rooted in business and industry matters, today, the publication focuses more on essential lifestyle content on the culture, commerce and creativity of New Hampshire. Stories cover things to see and do, great food and interesting Granite Staters.
Adding a branch to the family tree
The newest branch of Yankee Publishing is Family Tree, a genealogy magazine and online resource guide, acquired from F+W Media in 2019. With genealogy as one of the most popular hobbies, Family Tree helps showcase tools and tips to help map out ancestry.
Woven through all the publications is a focus on excellent storytelling, quality information and “a pleasant degree of humor.”