“Useful, with a pleasant degree of humor,” touts the cover of the 2016 Old Farmer’s Almanac. This year’s issue is filled with tips and trends, tales of the usual and unusual, recipes, folklore, essays, and of course, weather predictions.

Getting right to it, this year the Almanac warns of “a super cold winter” for most of the United States, and “a slew of snow.” Be prepared to bundle up and get those shovels ready, because the Farmer’s Almanac press release notes that the 2015 predictions “of a bleak and biting winter scored a stunning accuracy of 96.3 percent.”

There is much more between the covers of the 2016 Old Farmer’s Almanac than dire forecasts, though. Learn how to create a true Bier Garten. That is, find out all about growing hops and grains for home brewing in George Homsy’s article, “A Brewer’s Bounty in Bloom.”

The art of grafting fruit trees is explained in the article “When a Splice is Nice,” by Ron Engeldinger, or find out all about “Little-Known Legumes.” Margaret Boyles’ article is chock full of information about beans and other crops known as “pulse crops.” Tips for cooking dried beans and peas, as well as recipes, round out this article.

The center of the book is devoted to weather, astronomical calculations, and the Farmer’s Calendar for each month, filled with useful and interesting facts. What happens in winter is always on the minds of those who live in the northern parts of this country, but there are three other seasons to New England.

Look for a cooler than normal spring in 2016, with a hot and wet summer to follow, along with a lively hurricane season. Autumn will bring warmer than normal temperatures a year from now, and summer’s rains will disappear.

Up in the sky, 2016 offers a rare full  “Supermoon” in November, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. The full moon will loom just 217,000 miles from earth’s surface on November 14, and is guaranteed to have an impressive moonrise, with optical illusions making this moon… super. A supermoon means super tides, too, so coastal dwellers will want to keep that in mind.

Down to earth again, and into the home, “How Clean Is Your Kitchen?” dispels some myths and enlightens as to the best methods for kitchen hygiene. One of the most prevalent myths is that of tossing food based on its “use by” date. That is not necessary, according to this article.

“Ninety percent of Americans occasionally discard good food because they think that the ‘sell by,’ ‘best before,’ ‘use by’ or ‘packed on’ dates on food containers indicate safety. It’s all unnecessary waste,” claims author Cynthia Van Hazinga. “As far as food safety goes, the dates are meaningless.” Instead, take note if a can is bulging or leaking — and not safe to use.

Dogs, cats, horses, and moose all receive attention in the 2016 Old Farmer’s Almanac. Do cats and dogs really love their owners? What are the personalities of different breeds of horses? More importantly, what are the “Five Signs A Moose Doesn’t Like You,” and how do you calm an angry moose?

The Old Farmer’s Almanac has been guiding farmers since 1792. Two hundred and twenty three editions later, it remains a tradition in many homes.

The 2016 Old Farmer’s Almanac is available now at book stores and magazine stands, at www.almanac.com, or by calling 1-800-ALMANAC (256-2622).