Importance of a Weather Journal

I believe Mother Nature is reminding us of the importance of a weather journal. A year that will go down as a mild winter throughout the majority of the United States in now seeing some late snow falls and frost conditions in a vast majority of the country.

Photo by Bald Eagle Bluff

Currently we all turn on the weather forecast and see what we need to do for the garden. In the days our Founding Father’s were active in the garden they were forced to observe the weather themselves. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both actively logged daily weather observations in a journal. Thomas Jefferson even has a prestigious weather observer award given yearly in his honor. This is a direct reflection of his almost daily recordings from 1776 to 1816.

You can tell it meant something to the Founding Fathers to record information with that track record. Of course the most recognized weather guru was of course Benjamin Franklin who published Poor Richards’ Almanac. The reason for the focus is because of how vital food production was.

The fact that are society is much more dependent on food production than ever before ensures a breakdown and eventual return to an agrarian society. The ability to accurately forecast planting dates will be essential for all of us. The huge upside to having a detailed history of the weather in the micro-climate of your garden will be invaluable.

The history that a weather journal matched up with your garden journal will give you a solid base for success in your garden. It will be incumbent upon all of us to deliver results from a garden. The combination of a weather journal, garden journal, and skills of gardening will ensure your continued survival.

You may be able to have success without any of these three things, but it is the rare exception. Put the plans in place before you are dependent. The worst thing that could happen is two hundred years from now someone may see what kind of gardener you were.