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Books we're reading at the station and recommend to you.When we're not on-the-air or at our desks, we like to pick up good books. Most of us here at the station are, in fact, avid readers. In the style of NPR's "What We're Reading" (an excellent weekly guide) we, too, decided to share what we've been reading. Here's a list of books recently read by WKMS staff members, student workers and volunteers.Interested in a book on our list? Follow the Amazon link beneath the picture. A small percentage of your purchase of anything on Amazon through this link goes right to WKMS at no additional cost to you!

[Audio] Peek Behind the Pages of the The Old Farmer's Almanac 2016 Edition

store.almanac.com

The Old Farmer's Almanac is the longest published periodical in North America, in continuous publication since 1792. Their 2016 edition was released in September and Tracy Ross speaks with Senior Associate Editor, Sarah Perreault about the new issue, methodologies for weather forecasting and work underway on the 2017 anniversary issue.

Sarah Perreault says a lot of people grew up with an Old Farmer's Almanac in their house so she thinks the popularity of the publication is that it provides comfort to people with updated information every year and "a pleasant degree of humor." For the most part, the current issues look similar to the originals (though they're now around 200 pages and the early ones were only 20 or 30 pages). 

Each year, editors meet to discuss ideas in certain categories, like astronomy, folklore, husbandry, weather and gardening. Information that gets cut from the book finds its way on their website. 

For their weather forecasts, a meteorologist works on predictions using data from previous seasons. Perreault says they have an 80% accuracy, and that last year was one of their most accurate at 96.3%.  Of the 18 regions represented in the book, the WKMS listening area is largely situated in the Ohio Valley region. These are determined by the climatological movement of weather systems, she says. If weather doesn't fit into one region, they'll change the lines.

The published variations include Southern, Western, National (New England area) and Canadian editions. The Canadian edition features stories specific to Canada, but the other three differ by moonrise, moonset, sunrise, sunset and tide times. 

The 2017 edition is already underway and will be the 225th anniversary edition. Perreault says she hopes this one will be very memorable. A reader recipe contest will be featured in this edition, and she asks people to send their best savory pie recipes (like chicken pot pie) by January.

More on The Old Farmer's Almanac website

Tracy started working for WKMS in 1994 while attending Murray State University. After receiving his Bachelors and Masters degrees from MSU he was hired as Operations/Web/Sports Director in 2000. Tracy hosted All Things Considered from 2004-2012 and has served as host/producer of several music shows including Cafe Jazz, and Jazz Horizons. In 2001, Tracy revived Beyond The Edge, a legacy alternative music program that had been on hiatus for several years. Tracy was named Program Director in 2011 and created the midday music and conversation program Sounds Good in 2012 which he hosts Monday-Thursday. Tracy lives in Murray with his wife, son and daughter.
Matt Markgraf joined the WKMS team as a student in January 2007. He's served in a variety of roles over the years: as News Director March 2016-September 2019 and previously as the New Media & Promotions Coordinator beginning in 2011. Prior to that, he was a graduate and undergraduate assistant. He is currently the host of the international music show Imported on Sunday nights at 10 p.m.
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