In 1897, Francis P. Church scribed in the New York Sun words that forever touched our hearts.

Click to play!

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.

As our gift to you, we have taken this piece of Americana and turned it into remarkable video (about 2 minutes long). Just hit play and relax. It will lift your soul.

We invite you to send this video to friends, family and anyone who questions the existence of Santa Claus, or just needs a dose of inspiration. You are also welcome to use this video on your web site or blog. Just copy the code.

Technorati tags: Santa Claus, Farmers’ Almanac TV Francis P. Church

by Farmers Almanac Staff
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I have never been one to sleep well during the holidays. I always worry about something: whether it’s getting to the plane on time, or cooking the right dish, or finding time to buy gifts, or reigning in my spouse’s spending… The list goes on.

So to help readers like me, we spent some time collecting ideas to “de-stress” the holidays. You will find a collection of holiday stories that include tips and hints for decorating, gift ideas, recipes and more on FarmersAlmanacTV.com.

In the meantime, here are a few guidelines for surviving the holidays:

Keep It Simple. The biggest reason for out-of-control holiday stress comes from trying to overdo it. If you’re planning your own party, or sorting out gifts for your extended family, don’t feel obligated to make it to every single party, or buy for the whole office.

Plan in advance. Buy staples, paper goods and liquor well ahead of any dinner or event. The week leading up to the get-together, polish silverware and serving pieces, wash crystal and china, and launder and iron table linens. The day before, set the table and get flowers or greenery for decoration. Give the house a final swift cleaning.

Try to do one thing a day. Make a list of holiday-related errands and try to knock out one errand a day. Scratch it off your list as you complete it. By breaking everything down into bite-size chunks, your tasks will not seem so enormous.

Accept offers of help. If someone volunteers to bring a dish, entertain the kids for a few hours while you cook or help clean up, say yes! And don’t be shy about asking for assistance. When everyone pitches in, it’s everyone’s party. Share the duties and share the fun.

By Jennifer Dlugozima, VP of Marketing

Technorati tags: holiday stress, Farmers’ Almanac TV

by Farmers Almanac Staff
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If you haven’t had a chance to catch up on the FFA lately, you may want to read this article from the New York Times. It clearly articulates the changes in the FFA, which in many respects, has echoed the changes in farming. It states:

A new face has emerged on this old-fashioned tradition. More FFA members now come from towns, suburbs and city neighborhoods, including Queens and the South Side of Chicago, than from rural farm regions, FFA officials say. The largest chapter in the country? At W. B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences in Philadelphia.

Mainly, the FFA, created to build pride among young farmers-to-be, is drawing students who say they do not in the least wish to become farmers, but rather food industry scientists, seed bioengineers, florists, landscapers and renewable fuels engineers.

When we attended the FFA convention in October, this evolution was readily apparent. While we talked to quite a few students who lived on a farm, many did not. They totally understood, though, the value of agriculture in American society.

For many, the convention was an opportunity to learn about agricultural sciences, meet others with like interests as well as take lessons in leadership. Overall, they said it was a very positive experience, even if they had to spend 18 hours on a bus to get to the Indianapolis convention.

The staff at Farmers’ Almanac TV found the whole event very inspiring. The students we met clearly were “good kids” with their hearts in the right places.

Technorati tags: public television, Farmers’ Almanac TV FFA

by Farmers Almanac Staff
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Not all Thanksgiving meals go swimmingly well. Sure, the turkey or one of the side-dishes can burn. But the biggest challenge - for many families- is making sure everyone gets along.

As the New York Times puts it:

Family grudges buried by time and distance resurface. New girlfriends meet ex-husbands. Prius drivers make small talk with S.U.V. owners. And vegans spend the meal defending themselves. It’s enough to break a cook’s heart.

The article gives some good advice about how to manage conflict, as well head it off. In particular:

1) Assign everyone a job; idle time often enables bad behavior.

2) If you suspect potential trouble or inappropriate conversation, have a pointed conversation with the perpetrator before the meal starts.

3) The host should try to steer a conversation away from dangerous subjects. If a guest says something designed to anger others at the table, acknowledge the guest’s opinion, then make a joke about it and ease the conversation in another direction.

4) Regarding conflict over when to watch the game: the article suggests that hosts set expectations upfront. Announce that the tv will remain on during appetizers but shut off during the main meal and dessert.

Of course, these guidelines don’t guarantee a harmonious meal, but they are a start.

Please tell us your tips for making holiday dinners easy to digest.

by Farmers Almanac Staff
2 Comments »

For many families, Thanksgiving is not only an opportunity to give thanks, but it’s also a good time to relax outdoors. Often, the weather hasn’t cooperated.

Just consider the Blizzard Bowl in 1950, when Ohio was buried under a record amount of snow. Ohio State faced Michigan in front of 50,000 fans that braved 35 mph winds and a temperature of only 5 degrees. Michigan won 9-3 on 27 total yards and never even scored a first down. (For more memorable Thanksgiving weather, see the story on our web site, www.farmersalmanactv.com or click here).

While I don’t remember that event (I was born in 1965) I do remember many Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parades when the temperature was below or near freezing.

Through this, I have learned not to take chances. After consulting the Farmers’ Almanac and learning that rain is predicted for my area, I think we’ll plan on some indoor games.

If you want to check out the weather over the next ten days, please enter your zip code into our 10-Day Weather Widget.

By Jennifer Dlugozima, VP of Marketing, Farmers’ Almanac TV

Technorati tags: weather, Farmers’ Almanac

by Farmers Almanac Staff
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Of all the stories we cover, there seems to be one event that always gets rave reviews: The Combine Demolition Derby.

This annual derby pits 25-year-old combines against one another in a dirt arena in Lind, Washington. Thousands of residents from nearby towns come to see the battle that often resurrects aging combines before they are consigned to the scrap heap.

The drivers, who wear helmets but not much more protection, ram their duct-tape-laden machines into one another until they are just about disabled.

But it’s more than just a crash contest. The rural tourism event is a major fundraiser for the area’s programs, such as senior and youth services.

“The Combine Demolition Derby sets a shining example of what a small American community can accomplish when they put their minds to it. And, it highlights the family - and what it means for fathers and sons to work together toward a common goal,” said Mickey Youmans, exeuctive vice president of development and production for Farmers’ Almanac TV.

Farmers’ Almanac TV has included a 5-minute segment of the event in its public television show, Farmers’ Almanac TV. The segment can also be found on our web site: farmersalmanactv.com.

On Nov. 17th, we are proud to show a 30-minute episode of The Combine Demolition Derby on RFD-TV at 9:00 p.m. We hope you enjoy the show.

To see our press release, click here.

Technorati tags: public television, Farmers’ Almanac TV RFD-TV

Combine Demolition Derby Lind

by Farmers Almanac Staff
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We often get the question, “Where can I watch Farmers’ Almanac TV?” Well, we are broadcast on public television stations across the United States. But, we don’t have a set time. Local programmers in each market decide what shows to run for their local audiences – and at what time.

You can always check our map or local listings to find out when Farmers’ Almanac TV is broadcast in your area.

Our goal is to be broadcast on every public television station – and we are making steady progress. Since our debut in April, Farmers’ Almanac TV has been broadcast to approximately 63% of the country. More than 35 states have broadcast the show on their public television stations.

And, we are adding stations every day. In fact, over the past few months we have added 34 new stations throughout the U.S. We also recently added new television markets, including Casper WY, Houston, Klamath Fall OR, Medford OR, New York City, Odessa TX, Redding CA, Riverton WY, Schenectady, NY Scranton, PA, Spokane WA, Wilkes Barre, PA.

If you want to see Farmers’ Almanac TV, and it’s not running on your local public television station, feel free to contact your local programmer or us. The more public support there is for a show, the more likely programmers will choose to run it.

Technorati tags: public television, Farmers’ Almanac TV

by Farmers Almanac Staff
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