I shop at the local farmer's market, and usually put everything in the panniers. My set of panniers will just nicely swallow a bushel of carrots. Of course, the carrots come in a big, sturdy plastic bag so they also bungee nicely over the top of the panniers when I do something stupid like buy 15 pounds of meat and THEN pick up a bushel of carrots. I'd have put some carrots in my backpack, but it was already full of oranges.