Smallholders constantly read the landscape for clues on how the year will go. Farmers’ weather knowledge guides them as they make decisions early in the year.  Predictions about when it will rain and how much let farmers know if they should plant early or late, or if they should prepare the low-lying fields or the high and dry ones.  Scientific weather forecasts are pretty accurate for up to a week, but less so for the next several months, which is what one needs to know when planning a crop.