Tom Brand
Author
Tom Brand is a storyteller, farm kid, and community leader from Northwest Missouri whose work celebrates faith, family, and the humor tucked inside everyday rural life.Raised on a diversified livestock and grain farm near Hopkins, Tom grew up surrounded by the sounds, smells, and stories of the countryside — lessons that later shaped his career in farm broadcasting and continue to inspire his writing today.After nearly two decades behind the microphone, Tom shifted from telling other people’s stories to sharing his own. His book Welts on Your Butt a Calf Could Suck gathers true tales of small-town life, family traditions, and faith that endures through laughter and hard work. His children’s book I Never Heard of Johnny Fry: A Pony Express Adventure introduces young readers to one of Missouri’s most daring riders while capturing the spirit of discovery that runs through Tom’s storytelling.Beyond the page, Tom serves as director of the St. Joseph Community Alliance, helping connect people, projects, and purpose throughout the community. Each fall, he works with students at the National FFA Convention, mentoring the next generation of agricultural communicators — a role that keeps him rooted in the same values that shaped his own start.When he isn’t writing or working on community projects, you’ll often find him in bib overalls aboard the steam train at Worlds of Fun, trading stories with passengers and finding new inspiration for the next tale worth telling.
Books
Welts On Your Butt a Calf Could Suck
It’s one thing to grow up on a farm — it’s another to remember it well enough to make readers laugh, think, and maybe tear up along the way.
In Welts on Your Butt a Calf Could Suck, Tom Brand invites you into a collection of real stories that celebrate the humor, hard work, and heart behind rural life.Each story is rooted in the places and people who shaped him — from gravel roads and hayfields to small-town churches and front-porch conversations. These aren’t tales of what used to be, but reminders of what still matters: family, faith, resilience, and finding joy in ordinary moments.
“The memory is sharper than any photograph… the smell of straw, the feel of a pitchfork handle, the sound of piglets nursing—that kind of memory stays with you.”
A heartfelt tribute to growing up farm-tough and faith-strong — and to the generations who taught us how to laugh through life’s welts and wonder.
I Never Heard of Johnny Fry:
A Pony Express Adventure
Long before the internet — before cars, even — the mail still had to move, and a teenage rider from Missouri made sure it did.I Never Heard of Johnny Fry reintroduces one of America’s unsung heroes: the very first Pony Express rider. Written in lively rhyme and rhythm, the book gallops through history with the energy and courage that defined Fry’s ride.Tom’s storytelling captures the adventure in a way that sparks imagination for kids and nostalgia for adults who grew up hearing about the Pony Express. With vivid illustrations and a timeless message of grit and discovery, Johnny Fry is a ride worth taking again and again.
“He rode from out of history books — a name too few remember, but one worth knowing.”
Whether you’re reading it to a child or revisiting the history yourself, Johnny Fry reminds us that great stories — like great riders — always find their way home.
Richardson & Company Press
Every good story deserves a good home — and for mine, that home is Richardson & Company Press.Founded to preserve and share stories that celebrate faith, family, and community, Richardson & Company Press publishes books that reflect the heart of the Midwest. From memoirs and children’s adventures to reflections rooted in rural life, each title is crafted with care and authenticity — the kind of stories meant to be read, remembered, and passed along.More than a publishing name, Richardson & Company Press is a continuation of the same values that have shaped generations of storytellers in small towns and farmhouses across the country: honesty, humor, humility, and hope.
“Some stories are written to be read. Others are written to be remembered.”
Learn more about upcoming titles, events, and how Richardson & Company Press helps independent authors bring their own stories to life.
Contact Us
Whether you’ve read one of my books, heard me speak, or just stumbled across this site while wandering the web, I’d love to hear from you.Feel free to reach out with questions, speaking invitations, or your own stories that connect with something I’ve written. The best part of writing is hearing what stays with readers long after they turn the page.
Thank you
I’ve always believed the best stories start with a good conversation.Thanks for beginning one here. I’ll be in touch soon.— Tom Brand