Thursday, June 18, 2009

A Farmers' Market for Farmer's?

FilmFather sent me an ad from the Wilmington News Journal that features an apostrophe catastrophe in the headline.


The word farmers in "Support Delaware Farmers" is plural, not possessive, so it shouldn't have an apostrophe in it. But should the phrase farmers market? The answer to that question is not so simple. According to Grammar Girl's discussion on this topic, the AP does not use an apostrophe in farmers market, while the Chicago Manual of Style does.

What do you think?

Thanks, Eric!

at

12 comments:

  1. muffinzrockJune 18, 2009 at 10:41 PM

    I think that it's trying to say "Support the Delaware Farmer's Ellipsis."

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJune 19, 2009 at 10:03 AM

    I prefer the apostrophe on farmers' market. But then again, I'm also a fan of the serial comma, so I probably can't be trusted.

    ReplyDelete
  3. BeckyJune 19, 2009 at 10:05 AM

    I love the serial comma!

    ReplyDelete
  4. philiptdotcomJuly 9, 2009 at 5:33 PM

    It doesn't seem to be a question of WHETHER an apostrophe is used, but WHERE; either "farmer's market" or "farmers' market" would make sense--but "farmers market" simply doesn't.

    ReplyDelete
  5. BeckyJuly 10, 2009 at 9:29 AM

    Here's how I see it:
    Farmer's Market = a market owned by one farmer
    Farmers' Market = a market owned by several famers
    Farmers Market = a market that has something to do with farmers or is for farmers

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2011 at 1:27 PM

    i think it's fine without anything. you wouldn't use an apostrophe in the url townvillefarmersmarket.com
    so i would leave it out.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yasmin Alishav - FooderJuly 24, 2012 at 7:32 PM

    So what is it?!?!?!?!

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousJanuary 22, 2013 at 2:52 PM

    I agree with Becky's comment (on July 9) and apply the rule:

    Farmer's Market = a market owned by one farmer
    Farmers' Market = a market owned by several farmers

    ReplyDelete
  9. Pastor Jim HeethuisApril 3, 2013 at 10:15 AM

    What if the market is owned and operated not by one farmer or by several? Instead, it is owned and operated by a community organization FOR the farmers to market their stuff? Then no apostrophe?
    Byron Farmers Market

    I guess we could say it is owned by the community so:
    Byron's Farmer Market

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousNovember 1, 2014 at 4:35 PM

    If you are shopping at a location where there are many farmers, individually selling product -- multiple farmers and multiple markets (per say) in a single location, I would say farmers' markets...
    More than one farmer, so farmers.
    More than one market so markets.
    The markets are possessed by the farmers, so farmers' markets. Just my two cents. :) I agree with the post that an apostrophe must be used one way or another - farmer's or farmers'.

    ReplyDelete