The Other Almanac: Calculated for the Year 2025

by Ana Ratner (Compiler and Editor)

A sparkling new take on an age-old publication, The Other Almanac  brings together writers, artists and activists who contribute captivating items about environmentalism, gardening, recipes, folklore, seasonal savvy, and off-the-beaten-track entertainments, all presented in brilliant color and eye-popping design.

Among the pieces featured in the 2025 edition are:

Rich data visualizations of forest fires, ice melt, and bodies found in bogs

A list of objects left on the moon 

A checklist for signs of spring in NYC 

Herbal tips for every month from Anima Mundi herbals 

Recipes for making seasonal food from foraged edibles

A column on birding throughout the seasons in NYC

A eulogy for Flaco (the Central Park owl) 

A history of the iconic "Happy to Serve You" deli coffee cup

A photo essay about the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo 

A look at an NYC feud between two fish spots on City Island

Obituaries for recently extinct animals and plants 

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With contributions by: Adriana Ayales, Anne Kadet, Baseera Khan, The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, Cy X, Day Brièrre, Debarati Sarkar, Hirad Sab, Indigo Goodson-Fields, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Jeffrey Gibson, Jia Sung, Jordan Nassar, Jose Sanabria Aka Who Tattoo, Julie Rossman, Kay Kasparhauser, Meredith Celeste Lawder, Merry, Michael Pollan, Morgan Lett, Naomi Klein, Nora N. Khan, Or Zubalsky, Pascal Baudar, Paula Querido, Qais Assali, Roberto Lugo, Sally DeWind, Sky Hopinka, Sonya Renee Taylor, Spencer Tilger, Tauba Auerbach, Vivien Sansour, Willa Köerner, Winona LaDuke, Yasaman Sheri and Yemi Amu/Oko Farms

140 pages, Paperback

Published November 26, 2024

Reviews

[Jaime]

My Vermonter grandmother always used to get the Farmer's Almanac, which I loved flipping through. I read this modern, local, ecologically-minded take on the almanac from beginning to end, month by month. Some of the essays and features were great, others less so; that's to be expected with this sort of independent project, I think.

Improvements for future years I'd suggest:
1. Moon phases and celestial events (such as meteor showers)
2. More emphasis on practical advice—knowing that hibiscus is good for cooling doesn't mean anything; why not give a hibiscus iced tea recipe? Foraging tips, perhaps, instead of just recipes for cooking with foraged foods (how does one forage plants in New York City?)? Bird identification of the month?
3. On that note, getting an experienced recipe editor.

Really enjoyed it overall, will probably read 2026's edition!

[Jen CE · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think if I'd approached this almanac as if it were a zine, compiled by slightly drugged out teens fresh from injecting Mountain Dew directly into their bloodstream, I might have a greater appreciation for the content, or lack thereof, within. As it stands, this is not free (nor particularly cheap), so the poor font choices, insanely abundant type-o's, and overall lackluster content was a huge disappointment. Were none of thier friends available for proofreading? They should have hired a copyeditor, at the very least.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was certainly a few lines from some of the articles that I could have picked apart but I think that’s outweighed by a very excellent concept and stunning visuals. Can’t wait for next years issue, I’d love to see more of a focus on weather and lunar and solar patterns.