Life Trends in 2014 that Impact Your Genealogy Research

Farmers’ Almanacs are among my favorite things to read–and The Old Farmer’s Almanac by Robert B. Thomas, 2014 edition has several pages of “Trends” for 2014, compiled by Stacey Kusterbeck:

  1. DNA Testing–to connect with living relatives, to follow migrations of ancestors, to discover chronic diseases and conditions–[And to prove lineages.]
  2. $2.3 billion dollars are being spent on genealogy products and services. [We need a list of these so that we can build a better, more accurate family tree.]
  3. Digitizing old photos and handwritten letters and documents to preserve them.  [And my efforts to keep genealogy collections from being destroyed and lost forever.  Not all of the research from the past has been digitized or added to online family trees.]
  4. Recapturing old family recipes, vintage cookbooks, ethnic foods, and recipes made using old-time cooking methods. [These provide background and base for family traditions and origins of ancestors.]
  5. Return to farming–urban and rural–slower life-styles on small family farms. Community gardens and orchards being planted everywhere.  $2 billion dollars spent buying fresh produce at farmer’s markets across the US.  [Family traditions and origins are being shared around the dining table and at the kitchen sink.  Plan to be there so you can collect this oral family genealogy.]
  6. 200,000 book titles are self-published, including family histories and biographies of local personalities.  [How to discover what families and what personalities have been written up?  Are they in print, e-book only?]
  7. Family beehives mounted on windows so your family can watch the bees at work.  Birdhouses can also be mounted on windows to watch the eggs hatch and the care of the baby birds. [Examples of thrift and industry with stimulation to do likewise.]

The editors of this version of the almanac genre have decided that once a year is not enough.  So they are launching Almanac Monthly–an online e-book by subscription. Go to http://www.almanac.com or write The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Dublin NH 03444 to subscribe. A run of these delightful publications yields a lifetime of folklore and tradition.  Check with your local public library.  Your favorite genealogist, Arlene Eakle

PS  Stay tuned for marriage trends that affect your genealogy research–coming soon.

 

This entry was posted in Blog. Bookmark the permalink.