The first issue of what is now The Western Producer was published on Aug. 24, 1923. That means readers can expect a flurry of activity next year as we mark our 100th anniversary.
However, eagle-eyed readers might have noticed recently that according to the numbering system we use on the top of each issue’s front page, we’ve already reached that milestone.
The Jan. 6 issue was numbered Volume 100, No. 1, which is clearly a year too early.
Producer staff have noticed for the past few years as we inched closer to our 100th birthday that the numbering system was a little off. However, it wasn’t until Volume 100 appeared on last week’s front page that some of us decided to get to the bottom of this head-scratcher.
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Everyone loves a good “whodunit,” but equally as riveting can be trying to answer the question, “how the heck did that happen?”
Editor Mike Raine and I decided late last year to take a stab at figuring it out.
Our mission began by recognizing that the Producer hasn’t always numbered its issues based on the calendar year. For most of our existence, we followed the crop year.
Thus, that first issue in 1923 was numbered Volume 1, No. 1, and the Aug. 7, 1924, issue was numbered Volume 2, No. 1.
The first order of business, then, was to figure out when we switched to the calendar year. Our instincts told us the answer to our mystery would likely be found there.
With Mike in the Producer’s library and myself at the other end of the phone in my home office, we eventually discovered that the change had occurred in January 2002.
The Jan. 10, 2002, issue was numbered Volume 79, No. 23, while the Jan. 17, 2002, issue was numbered Volume 80, No. 1.
The transition from No. 23 to No. 1 showed us when we switched from the crop year to the calendar year, but the too-soon transition from Volume 79 to Volume 80 was the real light bulb moment. It explains why it appears today like we’ve reached our 100th birthday a year early.
Neither Mike nor I were part of the renumbering decision 20 years ago, so we’re not sure why it was done that way.
However, now at least we know the “how.”
