The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

Chat with Carol Connare, Editor The Old Farmers Almanac

In this episode, Greg talks with Carol Connare, Editor-in-Chief of The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the oldest continually published periodical in North America. Carol shares her path from archival work at UMass Amherst back to her “dream job,” stewarding the 234-year-old institution.

She clarifies the recent confusion between The Farmer’s Almanac (which closed) and The Old Farmer’s Almanac (which is thriving), explains the Almanac’s origins, traditions, and editorial approach, and offers insight into how it continues to adapt to modern growers’ needs. The conversation touches on climate shifts, regional variability, moon-based planting, and the Almanac’s evolution from a simple calendar of the heavens to a robust gardening and seasonal guide.

Key Topics & Entities

• The Old Farmer’s Almanac (founded 1792)
• Carol Connare, 14th editor & lifelong gardener
• Robert B. Thomas, original founder
• Almanac history & competition
• Difference between The Farmer’s Almanac vs The Old Farmer’s Almanac
• Long-range weather forecasting
• Climate shifts & updated frost/planting tables
• Regionalized weather zones (18 U.S. regions)
• Moon-phase planting
• Archival content & historical continuity
• Diversification: calendars, guides, kids’ edition
• Almanac.com as a major content platform
• Hardiness zone recalibration
• Growing practices & resilience

Key Questions Answered

What is the difference between The Farmer’s Almanac and The Old Farmer’s Almanac?

The Farmer’s Almanac (founded 1818) was a separate publication that recently shut down. The Old Farmer’s Almanac, founded in 1792, is alive, healthy, and independent. Historically, multiple almanacs existed, often overlapping in name and content. Confusion persists because both shared similar naming and themes, but only The Old Farmer’s Almanac continues publication.

How did Carol become Editor-in-Chief of such a historic publication?

Carol “boomeranged” back to the organization after 20 years at UMass Amherst. Her archival and publications work there prepared her well, since the Almanac is essentially an evolving 234-year archive. As a lifelong gardener, she considers the role her dream job.

What does an almanac actually do today?

At its core, the Almanac remains a “calendar of the heavens”—tracking moon phases, sunrise/sunset, tides, and seasonal shifts. It layers this with planting guidance, long-range weather forecasts, reference tables, quirky curiosities, and everyday inspiration delivered “with a pleasing degree of humor,” following the founder’s charge.

How does the Almanac support readers in different climates like Arizona vs. North Carolina?

Weather forecasts and planting tables are region-specific across 18 U.S. zones. Frost dates, planting windows, and climate references are calibrated for local conditions, and updated continually—especially after recent hardiness zone shifts and warming trends.

Is the Almanac adapting to climate change?

Yes. Carol explains that warming patterns have required updated planting and frost guidance nationwide. The Almanac recalibrated its data after the 2022 hardiness zone update and continues to adjust based on reader feedback and on-the-ground observations.

How does long-range weather forecasting work, and why is it famous?

Though not fully explained in this segment, Carol highlights that long-range forecasting is a tradition dating back to the Almanac’s founding and remains one of its most used features. Its methodology incorporates astronomical cycles, historical patterns, and proprietary modeling, achieving roughly 80% accuracy.

Episode Highlights

• The Old Farmer’s Almanac is not shutting down; the confusion came from a different publication folding.
• Only 14 editors have stewarded the Almanac over 234 years—an average tenure of ~17 years.
• The publication began as a “calendar of the heavens,” helping agrarian families plan by moon phases and sun cycles.
• Early America once had over 500 almanacs; competition, content borrowing, and printer-led editions were common.
• The Almanac diversified early—calendars, guides, kids’ editions, regional weather coverage, and a robust website.
• Climate shifts have pushed many planting dates earlier; many growers now update their calendars by weeks.
• Almanac.com now drives record engagement, especially during moments of news confusion.
• The Almanac remains committed to human responses—no AI answers for reader questions.

Calls to Action & Resources

Today we’re joined by returning guest Joshua Thayer, permaculture designer, author, and founder of Native Sun Gardens in California. Joshua has helped communities across the U.S. and abroad design food forests that restore ecology and produce abundance. His new book, California Food Forests: Feeding the Future, distills decades of hands-on design into practical steps anyone can use—no matter where they live.

Whether you're in a Mediterranean climate, drought-prone region, or temperate landscape, Joshua brings strategies to help you turn your yard, homestead, or urban lot into a resilient, stacked, biodiverse food forest.

• What is Permaculture?

Joshua breaks down permaculture as “applied ecology”—designing edible and ecological systems that match the local site, climate, and natural patterns. In this episode we learn why permaculture is adaptive, not formulaic.

• What Exactly Is a Food Forest?

A food forest is more than an orchard. Joshua explains how layers—from canopy to shrubs to vines to roots to mycelium—work together to create resilience, fertility, pollinator habitat, and year-round harvests.

• Stacking Functions & Vertical Layering

Joshua details:

• How to place tall trees on the north side in the Northern Hemisphere
• How vertical stacking lets you grow way more in small spaces
• Why “meadow-style” mid-height diversity beats densely planting tall trees

• The 7 Layers of a Food Forest

We explore the classic permaculture layers:

1. Canopy trees
2. Sub-canopy trees
3. Shrubs & brambles
4. Herbaceous plants
5. Groundcovers
6. Root crops
7. Vines & climbers
8. (+ the mycelium layer!)

Joshua shares examples of plant combinations that thrive together and create symbiotic relationships.

• Mediterranean & Drought-Wise Design

Learn why California’s Mediterranean climate is a perfect teacher for:

• Water-wise food production
• Soils that need oxygen and drainage
• Selecting resilient varieties
• Planting drought-tolerant guilds
• Joshua also explains how these principles translated to a project in Virginia with soggy soil.

• How to Start a Food Forest in 100 Square Feet

Joshua’s favorite entry point:

• Start with a 10×10 ft “tile”
• One main tree (like apple, plum, avocado)
• Two supporting plants (berries + herbs)
• Add soil-building ground covers and root crops
• Make it simple, modular, repeatable.

• Top Mistakes New Growers Make

Joshua shares the big ones:

• Not starting because the project feels too big
• Planting too densely
• Creating too much shade too early
• Ignoring soil health
• Designing tall trees before establishing the mid-layer

He explains how “thinking like a meadow” helps avoid over-shading and keeps the system diverse and manageable.

Get Joshua’s New Book:

With Scott Murray

In This Podcast: In this episode, returning guest and 50-year organic agriculture veteran Scott Murray shares the remarkable story of how coffee is commercially being successfully grown in Southern California. Scott explains how a single houseplant sparked a multi-variety coffee trial, eventually producing a Geisha harvest that sold out in one day at $796 per pound. He walks us through polyculture design, coffee’s surprising climate tolerance, and how California could become a boutique coffee region.

Our Guest: Scott Murray has over 50 years of experience in organic agriculture across the U.S. and Mexico and has served as a California conservation official for 33 years. He specializes in farm creation, farmland preservation, and regenerative polyculture systems. Scott now leads pioneering research and consulting on California-grown coffee, managing multi-variety trials and agroforestry-based plantations.

1. Who is Scott Murray?

Scott Murray is a farmer, consultant, and conservation leader with 50 years of organic agriculture experience in the U.S. and Mexico. He has been a California conservation official for 33 years and specializes in farmland preservation, smart-growth planning, and farm creation. He has recently become a pioneer in growing coffee in Southern California.

2. Are people really growing coffee in California?

Yes! Scott and his collaborators have successfully grown multiple varieties of coffee in Southern California. Their first commercial harvest in 2018 sold out in one day at $796 per pound.

3. How did coffee production begin on Scott’s farm?

It started as a houseplant experiment when Scott’s son Sam bought a coffee plant from a nursery. When it produced cherries, it sparked curiosity. Later, Scott interplanted coffee into a rejuvenated avocado orchard, creating a thriving polyculture system.

4. Why grow coffee under avocado trees?

Coffee thrives with protection, partial shade, and companion plants. Avocado trees provide a microclimate that buffers wind, sun, and temperature swings. This intercropping also enhances biodiversity and farm resilience.

5. What is the difference between monoculture and polyculture?

• Monoculture: Growing only one crop (e.g., avocados alone).
• Polyculture: Multiple crops grown together (e.g., avocados + coffee + bananas).
• Polycultures support pollinators, beneficial insects, soil health, and long-term productivity.

6. How do they protect young coffee trees?

Scott developed a “coffee protection structure” using:

• A gopher basket
• A chicken-wire cage
• Agricultural shade fabric

This boosts early survival and results in fast, healthy establishment.

7. How many varieties of coffee are they testing?

Scott is currently trialing 48+ varieties, including rare and exotic types such as Geisha and Whoosh Whoosh.

8. What’s special about Geisha coffee?

Geisha is one of the highest-value coffees in the world, known for its floral, tea-like flavor profile. Scott’s California-grown Geisha fetched $796/lb—demonstrating the potential for a specialty coffee industry in California.

9. How does California’s climate affect coffee quality?

Because California coffee cherries often stay on the plant for up to 12 months, the beans can accumulate more complex flavor compounds, potentially elevating specialty coffee quality.

10. Why is biodiversity important in coffee farms?

More plant diversity means:

• Better pollination
• More predator insects to control pests
• Improved soil health
• Greater climate resilience
• Enhanced flavor complexity in coffee

11. What role do avocados play in the system?

Pruned avocado trees create space and light for coffee. Multiple avocado varieties also lengthen the harvest season and improve pollination, boosting overall grove productivity.

12. Where can people learn more or see these systems?

A Garden Chat with Don Titmus

In this garden chat, Greg and Don Titmus dive into permaculture's eighth principle, 'Information and Imagination Intensive,' highlighting its emphasis on multi-disciplinary approaches to problem-solving using both low and high-tech solutions. They delve into the importance of utilizing quality thought and data to maximize yields and share personal experiences about integrating various systems like passive solar heating, water filtration, and composting. The discussion also covers the concept of food forests, zone planning, and sustainable design strategies for reducing energy and resource consumption. They encourage community collaboration and innovation, reflecting on their own permaculture journeys and offering insights on creating self-sustaining environments. Upcoming events like the Phoenix Permaculture Design Course and the Great American Seed Up are also mentioned.

Our Guest: Don grew up in London and at age 16 spent 4 years being trained in horticulture through an apprenticeship and a college course. From there he continued landscaping in his hometown until he moved to Arizona in 1981, where he worked in landscaping and then starting his own business in garden maintenance. In 2003 he attended a Permaculture Design Course, which was life-changing for Don. He knew right away that this was the path he’d been waiting for, and later attended two Permaculture Teacher Trainings.

A Rosie On The House Replay

This episode is the replay pof our monthly 'Rosie on the House' radio show in Phoenix. It features host Romey Romero, Farmer Greg and guest Kari Spencer discussing backyard livestock, primarily chickens and goats, for urban farming. They chat about the benefits of keeping chickens and goats, including eggs, milk, garden pest control, and composting. They also delve into the logistics of raising these animals, such as the necessary supplies, housing, and regulations. The episode touches on the challenges and advantages of meat birds, ducks, turkeys, quail, and guinea hens, offering practical advice and sharing personal experiences for listeners interested in starting their own urban farm.