Farmers markets offer shoppers a variety of fresh seasonal produce.
Recently, I was writing a news release about a program that enables farmers markets in 12 N.C. counties to accept electronic payment cards from customers who are in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. As I looked at the list of participating markets, I noticed that there’s a bit of variety in the term “farmers market” across the state.
Some markets choose to be possessive, using an apostrophe either before the “s” (farmer’s market) or after it (farmers’ market). Others don’t use an apostrophe at all. (The department-run farmers markets in Asheville, Charlotte, Colfax, Lumberton and Raleigh fall into this camp.)
Personally, I like the version without an apostrophe. After all, the markets are places for farmers to sell their produce, but they aren’t necessarily owned by the farmers, so the possessive use of the apostrophe isn’t really necessary. What do you think? If you’re into grammar and punctuation, drop us a comment and let us know your thoughts on this topic.
One thing we all can agree on is that farmers (farmer’s? farmers’?) markets are a great place to find fresh seasonal North Carolina produce and other foods. To find one near you, check out ncfarmfresh.com and click on “Visit an NC Farmers Market.” It’s a handy link to bookmark, since markets are heading into their busiest season.