The wife and I share a personal joke about our beagle mix, Coltrane (beagle crossed with pig, we say, but that’s not the joke). We’ve created this whole belief system for Coltrane (also known as Meatsack) based on one incident: While we were walking our sweet hound one day, a stray bag floated by on the sidewalk, and Meatsack darted in the opposite direction, as if the sack were an invading army. Now whenever we see a bag, we both turn to each other and scream in the beagle’s voice (c’mon, you know you have a “voice” for your animal?): “A baaaaaaaag!”

It’s queer, I know. But it makes us laugh.

I should have guessed that bags were a real cause of fear and loathing among the folks who frequent farmers’ market. In our new Food Issue, Anne Marson takes us deep inside this plastic-fearing culture, where it’s not enough to buy organic veggies and humanely raised beef. You must bring your own eco-friendly bags to carry them in—-or face the silent wrath of your fellow green do-gooders. It’s a fascinating read. Check it out.