Apostrophe Use

[dan waxman]

Dear Campus Farmers' Market Network,
 
We recently received an e-mail from a member of the network regarding the use of the apostrophe in "Farmers' ". Many markets use Farmers' or Farmers. Some even use Farmer's.
 
We want to hear from you!
 
Do you think we should keep Farmers' with the apostrophe or do you think we should change to Farmers?
 
Different organizations and markets across the country use each spelling for different reasons.
Based on the poll result we'll keep the name or change the name accordingly. Please feel free to share your reasoning with the listserv if you would like.
 
The poll will close on Friday, September 18, at 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.
 
Thank you for your interest and support for Campus Farmers' or Farmers Markets!
 
Dan Waxman and Jessica Zdeb

[Katie Lamar Jackson]

Hi all,

I am involved with The Market at Ag Heritage Park at Auburn University
in Alabama, which is a growers-only, open-air, seasonal market here on
campus. More on The Market and I have some questions for you all in a
future e-mail, but thought I would go ahead and weigh in on the spelling
issue.

We chose several years ago to use farmers' because we thought it
should be both plural and possessive. However, the Associated Press
uses farmers because they contend it a market of farmers, not belonging
to farmers, so it should not be possessive. We do consider our market
to be for farmers as well as for consumers since part of our mission is
to provide a sales point in support of our local growers, but we usually
try to conform to AP style, so we may change it when we write news
releases and could be convinced to go either way on Web page usage, etc.
I'd love to hear other opinions.

Katie

Katie Lamar Jackson
Editor
AU College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall
Auburn, AL 36849
PHONE: 334-844-5887
FAX: 334-844-5892
smi...@auburn.edu

>>> dan waxman <dewax...@gmail.com> 9/14/2009 1:04 PM >>>

Dear Campus Farmers' Market Network,

We recently received an e-mail from a member of the network regarding
the
use of the apostrophe in "Farmers' ". Many markets use Farmers' or
Farmers.
Some even use Farmer's.

*We want to hear from you!*

Do you think we should keep *Farmers'* with the apostrophe or do you
think
we should change to *Farmers*?

Different organizations and markets across the country use each
spelling for
different reasons.
Based on the poll result we'll keep the name or change the name
accordingly.
Please feel free to share your reasoning with the listserv if you
would
like.

*The poll will close on Friday, September 18, at 5:00 PM Eastern
Standard
Time.*

[Tripodi, Joseph]

   For simplicity, use Farmers (no apostrophe anywhere). Technically, the term should be “Farmers’” to indicate the possessive of the plural. However, a Farmers Market still refers accurately to a ‘market of/put on by farmers.’ I believe that you do not sacrifice correct grammar (which I believe is important) in exchange for simplicity + accuracy.

 

---

[Shaffer, Julie]

At Emory we decided to go with Farmers Market, and not to use the apostrophe.

 

Julie Shaffer

Sustainable Food Service Education Coordinator

Emory University

University Food Service Administration

Julie....@emory.edu

Drawer YY

Emory University

Atlanta, GA 30322

404.727.6734

 

 

Supporting good, clean and fair food for all

 

From: campusfarmers...@googlegroups.com [mailto:campusfarmers...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of dan waxman
Sent: Monday, September 14, 2009 2:04 PM
To: campusfarmers...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Apostrophe Use

 

Dear Campus Farmers' Market Network,

---

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[Zachary Lyons]

Actually, according to the Associated Press Stylebook, USDA, the states of California and Washington, and the national Farmers Market Coalition, along with grammatical common sense, the technically correct usages of the term is "farmers market," sans apostrophe.

Simplicity aside, the reality is that very few farmers markets are owned by farmers, so why would we use the possessive for them?  The few markets that are owned by farmers can rightfully be called "farmers' market," but for the rest, the correct usage is "farmers market."

For further clarity, let us remember that farmers markets are functions that are as much of the host community and the host management as they are of the farmers, so to use the possessive is in some ways an affront to those host communities and managers.  Instead, using the sans apostrophe version simply identifies the function as a place with a plurality of farmers, thus informing the public that they will find a selection of farm products from multiple farmers, without any suggestion as to who possesses the market, as in most cases, we kinda all do.

Zachary Lyons

co-author, Washington State Farmers Market Manual, 2008, Washington State University

[Phillip Fandel]

This is funny. 

I feel that yes, a farmers' market is a market of farmers, but the purpose of it is to provide the market for them.  We have all begun, or are a part of an event that gives the farmers a chance to sell directly to buyers in stead of shopping at a supermarket.  Because this is their market and not Trader Joe's market, I am likely to make it possessive.

Also, the apostrophe adds some pizazz, making it look like there is more going on. Really, I think it looks cooler. Here:

Farmers' Market

Farmers Market

Phil Fandel
University of Vermont

[Stacy Miller]

I love this conversation!

If I understand Phil's point of view correctly, he feels that the possessive is applicable because a farmers market, like a hand-made scarf, is made for the farmers and, in some respects, gifted to them.  This is noble, but I have to admit that it raised my eyebrows as being a little too close to charity.  As Zach mentioned, the Farmers Market Coalition made a conscious decision not to use the apostrophe in its name because, aside from grammatical considerations, doing so aligns with our convictions that although farmers are the integral moving gear, farmers markets benefit many outside the agricultural community.   If farmers markets are successful in benefiting farmers, consumers, and communities, the notion of ownership (as an apostrophe connotes), is obsolete. 

What makes a farmers market different from a Trader Joe's is a) that no one 'Joe' is at the end of the chain putting most of the money in their pocket, and b) the intricate web of all those who go out of their way to make a farmers market sustainable over the long-term (the die-hard shopper coming out in the pouring rain, the farmer saving a dozen eggs for a regular customer he knows will be running late after a long work shift, the volunteers helping carry seniors' bags to their cars, the likely under-compensated market manager, the extension service doing nutrition education, the partnering nonprofits...) are not doing so because a hierarchy of one or multiple 'Joes' are paying them to do so.  Farmers markets can be keystones of the community, and those markets that are most successful (granted that every market has different indicators of success but profitability to farmers is chief among them in most cases) tend to be those that cultivate community partnerships and continually seek feedback from customers.  This puts consumers and communities along with farmers as holding up the three-legged stool that is a farmers market.

Every market has a right to name itself what its respective community feels is most appropriate, but I might suggest that grammar should weigh heavier than pizazz in their decision.  While the English language is replete with perfectly functional aberrations and inconsistencies, I would love to know how Phil's more militant grammarian colleagues at UV would weigh in.

thanks to all for the great discussion!

Stacy
-------------------------------------
Stacy M. Miller
Executive Director
Farmers Market Coalition
st...@farmersmarketcoalition.org
304-263-6396
www.farmersmarketcoalition.org

Farmers markets are good for everyone. Join us to make them even better.