I don't have the energy to participate in the they're/their, your/you're, and it's/its battles. I have resigned myself to flinching at the homophonic hiccups that pepper everyone's text, flying under the radar of spell checkers and the quick scan that everyone no doubt does before they press Publish.
But I will sound the trumpet for one small grammatical campaign. A campaign that every food writer can fight. We can make a difference. Where do you shop for produce? At a farmers' market.
Not at a farmer's market. And certainly not at a farmers market, unless you're shopping for personal growers. [UPDATE: Tana points out that the AP style guide says "farmers market," so maybe I'll just campaign against farmers' vs. farmer's. Though I don't understand the "farmers market" usage.]
I, too, have shopped at a farmer's market, choosing common usage over common sense. I understand the urge to succumb to the mass's will. But don't be deceived by the single market; multiple growers sell at a farmers' market. You could visit a farmer's roadside stand, and I imagine the one-stall market we saw in Robion could be a farmer's market. But these are exceptions.
I've made my decision: I hereby swear to you to drop farmer's market from my prose. Who's with me?
Sorry for the repeat, OWEE readers.
