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some of our goals continue
to be to expand the brand
in other licensed items,
expand promotional
product opportunities and
to utilize technology in ways
to share even more of our
content, sell more products,
and increase our brand’s
strength in the retail and
promotional marketplaces.
What misconceptions or myths
have surrounded the FA, and
how do you address them?
Geiger
The biggest is
that the
Farmers’
Almanac
is for
farmers, and if I
live in a city, it can’t
be for me. We are
purposely for anyone
who is interested in
gardening, fishing,
hunting, recipes,
cost savings, doing things
without using chemicals,
etc. The other is that the
FA was something my
grandparents read. If they
did, they started reading
it when they had a young
family and it was a helpful
publication. The third is
that it is a weather book.
Yes, we have accurate long-
range weather but it is only
16 pages of the publication.
Weather is important but
we are so much more.
Duncan
It’s true that the
almanac is not just for
people who live on farms,
but it’s for people
who embrace
the idea of living
naturally, growing
some of their own
food, and living in
harmony with nature
and the obstacles
that a more urban
world throws at
us. To address
this we include
content for
people who live
in urban areas,
and in suburban and
farming communities. The
use of social media allows
us to reach a younger
target audience, as they
tend to be the users of
social media. We have
over 1.1 million fans on
Facebook, 30,000 followers
on Twitter, and 66,000
followers on Instagram.
Is the
Old Farmer’s Almanac
a ‘friendly’ competitor, or a
secret ally in the drive to keep
almanacs relevant to readers?
Geiger
We and OFA have
withstood the test of
time. We are different in
our approach but both
publications have been
dedicated to
remaining
relevant to
their readers.
I’m delighted
if someone
is interested in reading
any almanac—although
I hope we are the one
they enjoy the most.
Duncan
Our brand is very
strong and continues to
be strong as we officially
enter our 200th year. Our
growth and presence on
social media as well as our
place in the promotional
products industry is very
strong and we consider
the
Old Farmer’s Almanac
a “friendly” competitor.
While we’re both almanacs
and have gardening
and long-range weather
predictions, our content
and approach to content is
very different.
continued from page 40
f
Cattle And Calves
Texas – $11.3 billion
Kansas – $8.8 billion
Colorado – $4 billion
Oklahoma – $3.9 billion
Missouri – $2 billion
Corn
Iowa – $8 billion
Illinois – $7.9 billion
Nebraska – $4 billion
Minnesota – $4 billion
Dairy Products
California – $6.3 billion
Wisconsin – $5 billion
New York – $2.6 billion
Idaho – $2.3 billion
Pennsylvania – $1.9 billion
Pork
Iowa* – $6.8 billion
North Carolina* – $2.9 billion
Minnesota* – $2.8 billion
Illinois* – $1.5 billion
Indiana* – $1.3 billion
Poultry
Georgia – $4.2 billion
North Carolina – $3.4 billion
Alabama – $3.3 billion
Arkansas – $3.3 billion
Mississippi – $2.4 billion
Soybeans
Illinois* – $5 billion
Iowa* – $4.7 billion
Minnesota* – $3 billion
Indiana* – $2.7 billion
Nebraska* – $2.6 billion
Wheat
North Dakota – $1.7 billion
Kansas* – $1.4 billion
Montana* – $1 billion
South Dakota* – $5 million
Texas* – $4.8 million
Top
Crops
Wheat, corn, soybeans,
dairy, poultry, pork and
beef are top agricultural
commodities in the U.S.
The following states list
one or more of themas
top revenue-generating
agricultural products.
*These states reported higher
revenues from other agricultural
products in 2015
Source: USDA
ag r i cu l t ur e i ndus t r y
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