Americans’ confidence and trust in key institutions is at a historical low, according to a 2016 Gallup poll. Even institutions that have enjoyed high levels of trust in the past, such as churches and schools, have dropped in Americans’ respect and regard over the past 10 years. Others, such as banks, big business and Congress, have struggled for decades to earn the public’s confidence. Their ratings haven’t gotten any better.

Against this backdrop of skepticism and lack of trust, there’s at least one group that most Americans still respect and admire. I’m talking about farmers, of course.

The Center for Food Integrity (CFI) tracks public opinion about food. CFI has asked similar questions for years now, and—year after year—consumers rate...