Farming is the most respected profession in the U.S., garnering the highest rating of any industry in a nationwide poll.

Farming and agriculture topped Gallup Inc.’s annual Business and Industry Sector Ratings for the first time in the poll’s 20-year history. They were boosted by a COVID-19-fueled jump in public awareness of food and how it gets to the table, according to Gallup.

That recognition both pleased and disappointed Idaho Farm Bureau Federation board President Bryan Searle, a potato grower in Shelley.

“It does not surprise me, and actually I’m a little disappointed those percentages are not a little higher,” Searle said. “There is not a soul out there that can get by without food.”

Gallup, an international polling and consulting company, asked 500 people their general perception of 25 industries. In addition to farming and agriculture, included on the list were such sectors as the computer industry, accounting, automobiles, lawyers and the movie industry.

Food was top-of-mind for respondents, who ranked farming and agriculture first, followed by the grocery industry in second place. Restaurants were ranked third.

1 trillion votes

While the poll showed a heightened respect for America’s food producers, consumers also have been voting with their pocketbooks. They are projected to spend $1.04 trillion on groceries this year, according to the Supermarket News website.

Restaurants were most popular in 2019, followed by the computer and grocery industries, farming and agriculture, and the travel sector.

Participants in the poll, which this year was taken July 30-Aug. 12, were asked to rate industries as very positive, somewhat positive, neutral, somewhat negative or very negative.

Agriculture, which normally does well in the poll, benefited from 11 percentage point gain in positive rating.

Overall, farming and agriculture received a 69% positive rating and an 11% negative rating; the 58% net-positive is up 17 points from 2019.

Grocery’s 63% total positive rating is up five points from 2019.

The least-popular sector was the federal government.

The farming and grocery industries typically don’t change much in popularity, 20 years of Gallup results show, absent a pop-up issue such as a price shock or safety concern.

Oil, gas and utilities, autos, banking and real estate vary more as people respond to economic fluctuations.

Gallup declined to comment beyond its analysis of the poll results.

Pandemic impact

“This year’s rankings reflect significant changes in the ratings of six industries, three of which are delivering vital goods and services to Americans during the pandemic,” Gallup said in its report.

Farming, health care and pharmaceuticals all rated more positively this year than in 2019. Health care jumped to mid-pack after ranking third-lowest last year.

The internet industry gained favor while the travel sector slipped.

“Every type of business and industry has been affected in some way by the coronavirus pandemic,” Gallup reported, “including the economic challenges of reduced consumer demand, the financial expense of implementing increased health and safety measures, and the significant disruption that has occurred to supply chains for many products.”

While sentiment about many sectors hasn’t changed much, “the public is expressing greater appreciation for the work of three industries that are critical to people’s well-being: farming and agriculture, health care and pharmaceuticals,” Gallup said.

Poll a bonus

As many farmers wrapped up the harvest season for 2020, they said the Gallup poll was an added bonus.

At Sunnyside Farm in New Plymouth, Idaho, near the Oregon border, Galen Lee said his family’s on-farm asparagus stand has seen more customers during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping offset lost restaurant business.

“I’m not sure it was a straight trade-off, but it helped,” he said.

One driver, after stopping to ask what was being harvested, visited the retail stand and later referred a handful of customers who drove 40 miles west from the Boise area, Lee said.

“It’s easy to feel under-appreciated when you’re working these long hours and days,” he said, reflecting on Gallup’s findings. “It’s nice to hear from people and feel appreciated.”

The increased awareness of food production contrasts with the fact that more people are at least one generation removed from farming, Lee said.

More interest

Cathy Cabalo at Cabalo’s Orchard and Gardens in Kuna, Idaho, said Oct. 21 that the business this year has been drawing more customers who show more interest in fresh food. The growing population in the Boise area also contributes to more sales, she said.

Customers “are generally concerned that our business will make it because they enjoy coming out here,” she said. “When I talk to them, there is a genuine concern that we will survive.”

That emerged out of larger public concern about food supplies rather than anything specific to Cabalo’s Orchard, Cabalo said. Demand has been particularly high for apples, jams and jellies.

Wissel Farms is a southwest Idaho fruit and vegetable wholesaler with a retail storefront and relaunched community-supported agriculture subscription program.

The CSA performed well this year, owner Matt Wissel said, helped by “the whole idea that people want freshness.”

Some of the increased appreciation for the food sectors reflects “a movement back to healthy eating. People want to be healthier,” he said. “Part of that is, they want to know where their food comes from and how it is produced.”

Wissel has been an Albertsons vendor for 31 years.

“They have really done a good job of promoting the grower in their stores,” Wissel said. For years, the company has put in its stores pictures and written descriptions of its supplying farm families, and brought growers in to meet customers.

“Albertsons as a company has done a really good job putting a positive light on that,” he said. “People have a positive image.”

Grocers ‘step up’

Washington Food Industry Association President and CEO Jan Gee said grocery stores, as an essential industry that absolutely had to stay open to feed the public as the pandemic unfolded, “really stepped up.”

For example, the association immediately shared with state leaders the industry’s best practices for safety and cleanliness even before the government developed business safety protocols.

“We really showed the public how we can feed their families in a very safe and sanitized environment, and we did so on our own,” Gee said. “It was not mandated.”

Stores also expanded their health-and-wellness sections, which in many cases added to public confidence.

Idaho Sugarbeet Growers Association Executive Director Brad Griff said farms were deemed essential, so they could keep operating during the pandemic, even in states with prolonged lockdowns.

“Even in uncertain times, we can always count on farmers to be there for their families and feed the world,” he said. “We still need to produce food. People have come to realize that certain industries are more critical than others. And being able to feed your family is at the top of the list.”

Potato grower Searle said people “have seen the resilience and commitment of the farmer.

“We know what tough times are. We gamble every year,” he said. “When the pandemic came and shelves were bare, it turned people’s minds to these farmers — that they are pretty important, and we need them.”