Farmers markets

Farmers markets are excellent opportunities for composting and recycling and, ultimately, zero waste. The Hillcrest market in San Diego is moving in the right direction by placing recycling bins next to their garbage cans, but look at all those Styrofoam containers and wasted food.



I'm really proud of Mill City Farmers Market in Minneapolis for launching its zero-waste initiative last year. All the vendors use paper or compostable cups, plates and utensils, and the market uses volunteer compost monitors to help customers put their discards in the proper places.

On a side note, I've wondered about whether farmers market gets an apostrophe, and found this helpful entry at http://commonsensej.blogspot.com/:

"Does the term Farmers Market use an apostrophe after the s? Or should we not use one at all? – from Ohio: AP style, based on information from the Washington State Farmers Market Association and the USDA, is "farmers market" with no apostrophe. (Generally, the farmers do not own the market.)

(Note from Doug: You will find wide variations and assertions on the Web about farmers vs. farmers'. Either can be considered correct. The farmers' style is called the genetive descriptive, and there is a fair amount of debate about using it in things like teachers(') college, etc. The AP style on farmers conforms to the wire service's general guide that when something is for someone or something else, then no apostrophe. Thus teachers college (a college for teachers), citizens band radio (a radio band for citizens), Yankees first baseman (first baseman for the Yankees) and farmers market (a market for farmers -- note that AP points out "generally, the farmers do not own the market."). This AP style is not definitive, however, if you are not working for AP or an organization that follows AP style. Farmers' can just as easily be supported in a house style. Just be consistent.)"