Farm Broadcaster Shares Rural Roots in New Book

The contents of this blog come from my interview with Tom Brand.

Everyone has a few sayings from their childhood that stick with them — phrases passed down from parents or grandparents that, years later, still make us smile, cringe, or think. For Tom Brand, one of those sayings didn’t just linger — it became the title of his new book.

Welts on Your Butt a Calf Could Suck might sound like a curious phrase to anyone who didn’t grow up on a farm, but for Brand, a former president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters, it’s straight from his father’s playbook. “It was something Dad used to say when we weren’t doing our chores the way he expected,” Brand said, recalling the time he was told to keep hogs off a pile of fence posts — or else.

That story, along with many others, makes up the heart of his new book: a collection of reflections on growing up in rural America, working hard, and learning life’s lessons the old-fashioned way. The stories are organized into several themes — family, farming, school, advice, and life in general — all drawn from Brand’s years of writing a regular newspaper column.

“People kept asking when I was going to write a book,” he said. “So I finally gathered up all the columns I’d written, printed them out, and realized there were some clear patterns. That’s how the book took shape.”

But Welts on Your Butt a Calf Could Suck isn’t just about Brand’s past. It’s about sparking memories for others, too — and encouraging them to capture their own.

“My hope is that someone reads it and thinks, ‘That reminds me of something Grandpa used to say,’” Brand explained. “Maybe they’ll start telling their own stories or even writing them down. That’s the real value of sharing these experiences — it keeps them alive.”

In a time when rural voices can often be drowned out, Brand’s book is a reminder that the farm isn’t just a workplace — it’s a foundation for values like grit, gratitude, and family strength.

To purchase a copy of the book, visit Amazon or www.RichardsonPress.com.