Our brains aren’t wired to be persuaded by facts or scientific studies, said Vance Crowe, a communications consultant and podcaster who spoke on the importance of sharing agriculture’s story last month during the Iowa Pork Congress.

“[Farmers] are in a perilous position in the world right now,” Crowe said. “What you do every day is something extremely rare, and you should feel empowered to share your story.”

Crowe said outside forces often dominate the conversation and narrative...