farmer's/farmers'/farmers market

[susanna76]

I have seen all three: "farmer's market", "farmers' market", and "farmers' market"[Edit: third option is "farmers market"] Which one is it?

Same thing with "carpenters tower" and many other towers owned by guilds in medieval towns.

Any thoughts? I read somewhere online that the tendency is to lose the apostrophe. Do you agree?

 

[bibliolept]

I don't know that there's a trend. I'd prefer farmers' market as it is more accurate. That's also what I believe I've most often seen.

 

[Welshie]

"farmers' market" is the only correct form. I assume that you meant to give "farmers market" as your third option, your second and third option are the same

There is significant misuse of the apostrophe in English, including dropping it where it is necessary and putting it where it is not.

 

[susanna76]

Does anyone vote for "farmer's market"? I've seen this often and somehow the singular makes sense to me. The plural does at well, but in a different way: it seems more justified rationally, since it's a market where farmers, plural, come. Still, I wonder whether there might be a tradition of calling these markets farmer's markets from a time when the singular made more sense for some reason.

 

[sdgraham]

The style used by U.S. newspapers is "farmers market," no apostrophe, when it refers to a place where farmers and/or their families gather to sell produce.

Sometimes style issues can be argued from multiple standpoints and somebody just has to pick one version and stick with it.

 

[George French]

The style used by U.S. newspapers is "farmers market," no apostrophe, when it refers to a place where farmers and/or their families gather to sell produce.

Sometimes style issues can be argued from multiple standpoints and somebody just has to pick one version and stick with it.

I agree with your sentiment sdg. I will stick with farmers' market.

GF..

 

[pops91710]

If it is James Farmer's market, then it is Farmer's Market.
If it owned by a group of farmers, then it's Farmers' Market
If it is a market place for farmers to sell their product, than it is Farmers Market.

Just my way of understanding it.

 

[Loob]

Here's a related previous thread:
Possessive: fisherman's, fishermans' or fishermans market?

I don't think it reached any firm conclusions.

But if we're voting, I vote for farmers' market: more than one farmer, possessive apostrophe.

Unless it was run by only one farmer - in which case I might call it {Name} Farm Market.

 

[Parla]

I'm inclined to agree with SD and Pops: Farmers' Market is technically correct assuming the market is owned/operated by multiple farmers. But Farmers Market is now more common in current usage, and I don't have a grammatical problem with it; it's a market featuring the produce of farmers.

"Farmer's Market" would be acceptable only if it involved a single farmer or was operated by someone named Farmer.

 

[susanna76]

Thanks so much. I see there's a preference for "farmers market" in US English and "farmers' market" in British English. No one votes for "farmer's market" so it's good to know that one is not an option.

 

[panjandrum]

Thanks so much. I see there's a preference for "farmers market" in US English and "farmers' market" in British English. No one votes for "farmer's market" so it's good to know that one is not an option.

If I swing in behind pops will that make a difference to the analysis

I don't perceive the market as being owned by the farmers, the word "farmers" tells me what kind of a market it is - a market where farmers come to sell stuff.

Be careful about comparing fishermen and farmers - irregular and regular plural forms.
Try Possessive: Beginning, beginner's, beginners' beginners class?

But I have to say that it all comes back to baby oil and June 2005.

I don't imagine that this thread will come up with a clear conclusion, any more than the others.
I prefer "Farmers Market", no apostrophe, but I wouldn't be upset by "Farmers' Market" ... as long as they don't sell potatoe's

 

[Nellieuk]

Here's a related previous thread:
Possessive: fisherman's, fishermans' or fishermans market?

I don't think it reached any firm conclusions.

But if we're voting, I vote for farmers' market: more than one farmer, possessive apostrophe.

Unless it was run by only one farmer - in which case I might call it {Name} Farm Market.

Yes, definitely in agreement

 

[Wertis]

If it is James Farmer's market, then it is Farmer's Market.
If it owned by a group of farmers, then it's Farmers' Market
If it is a market place for farmers to sell their product, than it is Farmers Market.

Just my way of understanding it.

That's very close to what I think about all this. #1 is indisputable - when the owner is one person it's his market, say, Adam John's market or Terry Karmichael's market. However, much more often we have the case when a market is intended for farmers, who come there to sell milk, cream, sour cream, curds, butter, vegetables, etc. I would suggest either "farmer market" without the "s" or the apostrophe. "FarmerS market" is also OK. The diference between the two, as I perceive it, is that a "farmer market" is the place where farmers doing similar things collect. For example, farmers selling only milk products or farmers that have all come from one place. In other words they have all something in common, which allows us to attribute them to one category of farmers. This feature can be their produce, the place where they've come from, their age, etc. "FarmerS market" tells me that there are different farmers and they either sell different goods or are distinguished by some feature. Finally "farmers' market" with the apostrophe can mean that several farmers own it, but cannot it mean the same as "farmer market" or "farmers' market"? Does the apostrophe always have to mean that they (farmers) own the market?

 

[himanshu98558]

When we talk about a single farmer then we can use farmer or farmer's But when we are using it for the whole farmer community we have to use farmers'.

 

[kentix]

Yes, but the odds of a single farmer running an entire market seem very small. So, although it would be correct, the chance to use it would almost never happen.

 

[sdgraham]

Yes, but the odds of a single farmer running an entire market seem very small. So, although it would be correct, the chance to use it would almost never happen.

Here in Oregon, we have roadside stands where individual farmers sell their produce directly to consumers, but we never, ever, call that a "market."