LEWISTON — It is news that for some, is almost impossible to believe.

After more than 200 years of weather forecasts, gardening tips, and down-to-earth advice, Farmers’ Almanac owners on Thursday announced they will cease publication.

“It is with a heavy heart that we share the end of what has not only been an annual tradition in millions of homes and hearths for hundreds of years, but also a way of life, an inspiration for many who realize the wisdom of generations past is the key to the generations of the future,” almanac Editor Sandi Duncan wrote in a news release.

The almanac is a division of Geiger, a Lewiston-based promotional products company. The first almanac rolled off the presses in 1818, beginning a long tradition of long-range weather forecasts, gardening and farming tips, and pages of quirky wisdom.

David Geiger, president of Geiger and fifth-generation family owner, said the decision to end publication was based on “shifting reader habits and economic realities.”

“This decision was honestly heartbreaking,” he said. “While the Farmers’ Almanac represents a small part of our overall business, it has always been a meaningful part of our family’s legacy. However, readers now access information and answers differently, and the trajectory of newsstand sales made this decision necessary.”

Each year, in the summer, a new edition of the Almanac would be announced to the media, with forecasts for the coming year’s weather discussed in great detail.

Peter Geiger, longtime editor and “philom” of the publication, often posed for publicity photos in keeping with the theme of that year’s weather.

But last year, Geiger stepped down, turning over the role of editor to Duncan.

In addition to weather forecasts and gardening tips, the almanac provided lists of “best dates,” including those for fishing, planting and grooming.

The publication listed full moon dates and provided information about celestial wonders coming over the course of the following year. Each publication featured lists of natural remedies and tips on a crazy range of topics, such as how to rid a home of pests or how to keep wooden floors from creaking.

In 1933, Ray Geiger, the namesake of the company and Peter’s father, took over as the sixth editor of the Almanac and began what became the longest-running editorship in Farmers’ Almanac history. The role was bestowed on Peter Geiger in 1994.

For 30 years, Peter Geiger was the face of the Farmer’s Almanac. In addition to public speaking events where he discussed the contents of the publication, he and his family, including brother Gene Geiger, were deeply involved in the community.

Peter Geiger’s yearly Halloween candy give-aways were known far and wide and would typically draw thousands of visitors to his Lewiston home or to Geiger headquarters on Mount Hope Avenue.

When the Internet came into play, Almanac owners were quick to jump on board, with an online version of the publication going up in 1997. Currently, the almanac has an estimated 1.2 million online followers.

The almanac’s website will be discontinued in December, according to Duncan.

On Thursday, Duncan announced the news on the almanac’s various social media pages. The reaction was immediate.

“Been buying it for 30-plus years and been reading it since I was a child,” one woman wrote. “My 86-year-old dad looks forward to me getting him a copy every year. Reading this, I suddenly feel so sad and it’s like losing another part of my life. Thank you for many great years of reading and learning new things, you will be greatly and sadly missed!”

Another woman said the placing of almanac copies in Christmas stockings had become a holiday tradition in her family. Others lamented the loss of a publication that guided them on the best times to garden or hunt or fish.

“We have so loved the Farmers’ Almanac,” a Florida woman wrote, “and appreciated the help it has given us through multiple generations. It’s like losing a cherished friend.”

In her announcement, Duncan said the spirit of the almanac will live on as the various tips, suggestions and nuggets of wisdom offered up over the decades continue to be shared from one generation to the next.

“The one bright light in all of this,” Duncan wrote, “is that we know that the almanac’s way of life, its wisdom, and spirit will continue to live on.”