Science Friday

Who uses Farmers’ Almanacs? + Zebra finch home design

March 16, 2026

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  • Modern farmers, like Liz Graznak, primarily view the *Farmer's Almanac* as entertainment or a source of historical tidbits rather than a guide for current agricultural decisions, often relying instead on contemporary weather data and personal records due to climate change. 
  • There are two major publications, the *Farmer's Almanac* (orange cover) and the *Old Farmer's Almanac*, both of which feature significant astronomy content, and the former recently avoided closure after being taken over by a new company. 
  • Zebra finches exhibit individual color preferences for nest-building material, and while males with weak preferences conform to the majority color used by their colony, those with strong individual preferences maintain their own color choice, suggesting that strong opinions matter even in bird culture. 

Segments

Farmers’ Almanac Usage Inquiry
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(00:01:12)
  • Key Takeaway: Modern farmers often treat the Farmer’s Almanac as entertainment rather than a primary operational guide.
  • Summary: Host Flora Lichtman introduced the topic by describing the traditional content of the Farmer’s Almanac. Farmer Liz Graznak confirmed she reads it for fun tidbits and historical information, comparing it to reading a magazine. Graznak noted that the older generation of farmers she knows still bases decisions on its advice, which she calls ‘old wives’ tales.’
Astronomer’s Almanac Contribution
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(00:03:29)
  • Key Takeaway: Dean Regas contributes astronomy articles to the Farmer’s Almanac, finding a large public audience through their social media presence.
  • Summary: Astronomer Dean Regas explained he writes about upcoming celestial events like eclipses and meteor showers for the publication. He was initially skeptical, associating the almanac with astrology, but found a strong positive response to the astronomy content online. The almanac has over a million social media followers, extending its reach beyond print.
Almanac Data Basis and Forecasts
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(00:04:27)
  • Key Takeaway: The Farmer’s Almanac weather forecasts claim accuracy better than half the time, though this is difficult to verify compared to the certainty of astronomical predictions.
  • Summary: When questioned about the scientific basis of the almanac’s data, Regas noted that for weather, they claim to be right more than half the time. He contrasted this with his astronomy contributions, which offer verifiable information about sky events. The discussion also highlighted the recent news that the Farmer’s Almanac (started 1818) was nearly shut down but was subsequently taken over by a new company.
Climate Change Impact on Farming
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(00:06:26)
  • Key Takeaway: Climate change has significantly reduced the reliability of traditional timing guides, forcing farmers like Liz Graznak to invest heavily in controlled environments like high tunnels.
  • Summary: A listener email suggested climate change makes almanacs obsolete for farming decisions. Graznak confirmed this, stating climate change has affected her timing ‘180%.’ She now relies on high tunnels and undercover growing to gain more control over crop dependency, despite the massive investment required.
Physical Media Nostalgia
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(00:08:07)
  • Key Takeaway: The longevity of the almanacs is partly attributed to a nostalgic appreciation for physical books in an increasingly digital world.
  • Summary: The longevity of publications lasting hundreds of years through media changes is considered amazing. Dean Regas, a Gen Xer, noted a throwback nostalgia associated with receiving and flipping through the physical copy of the almanac. He emphasized that having that tangible copy remains a special experience.
Zebra Finch Color Preferences
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(00:09:42)
  • Key Takeaway: Zebra finches, specifically males who build the nests, show individual color preferences for nest-building material, which can be quantified by measuring interaction time with different colored strings.
  • Summary: Lauren Guillette introduced research showing zebra finches have favorite colors for nest decorating, challenging the assumption that animals always follow the crowd. Researchers measured preference strength by recording the proportion of time males spent interacting with blue versus yellow string in a non-nesting scenario. Birds demonstrated individual variation, meaning not all finches preferred the same color.
Conformity vs. Individual Bias
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(00:17:23)
  • Key Takeaway: Zebra finches with weak initial color preferences conform to the majority color used by their colony when building nests, whereas those with strong preferences do not.
  • Summary: The study tested whether a male finch would stick to his initial color preference or conform to the color used by established nests in a small colony. Birds exhibiting a 50-50 initial preference were more likely to copy the group’s choice. This suggests that strong pre-existing biases override social pressure in information filtering.
Female Finch Influence on Nesting
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(00:17:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Female zebra finches, despite not selecting the material, show preferences that manifest in the final nest composition, possibly through non-verbal communication to the male.
  • Summary: Zebra finches are tetrachromats, seeing more colors than humans by perceiving ultraviolet light. While males deposit the material, current experiments are investigating the female’s role. Preliminary data suggests the female’s preference influences the final nest, even though the mechanism of communication to the male is still under investigation.