Supermarkets often get a bad press over the way they treat farmers - and sometimes for the way they treat shoppers too.
The retail giants' reputation for playing hard and fast with the food we eat is frequently well-deserved. But not always, it seems.
I've just discovered a Farm to Fork project run by The Co-operative Group - Britain's biggest farmer and community-based retailer.
The project makes it possible for school children to experience a real farm at work, so they can see where their food comes from and how it is produced.
More children than ever are now visiting the outdoor learning experience at Oadby Lodge Farm, Leicestershire, where the Farm to Fork project is based.
Thanks to Co-op funding, the project is growing rapidly and school children Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire can now visit the farm.
Pupils from Keyworth Primary School, aged between five and seven, recently became the first Nottinghamshire visitors to the farm.
After being introduced to the project, pupils spent the day at the farm, learning about the soil and the crop growing cycle.
Farmers Nick and Michelle Padwick, who run the project, also show the children how hedge laying and grass margins attract wildlife to the farm.
The local co-op store in Keyworth supported the trip by raising funds to cover transport costs.
Pupils were also provided with ingredients such as milk, peppers and cheese, which they collected from the store ahead of their visit to the farm.
The children used these foods, along with the wheat they saw growing, to cook tasty dishes in the farm's kitchen.
A further 17 schools in the Nottingham area have booked a trip and 10 schools from Northamptonshire have signed up to visit the farm.
With a bit of luck, these pupils will no longer be among those unfortunate children who think oranges grow in Britain.
Or that margarine comes from cows...
Johann Tasker
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