Writer combines father’s background as elevator agent with maternal family’s railroading history to tell sector’s story
David Maiers has long had deep roots in the grain industry. The COVID-19 pandemic gave him time to put this passion down in writing.
Grain, Maiers latest book, tells the story of the grain industry in Western Canada.
“It covers everything, the railways, the grain companies, the crops, the farm machinery, it’s got everything you’d want to know about the grain industry and its stance as of right now,” Maiers explained.
Maiers is a lifelong resident of Roblin, Man., with a father who worked in the community for 35 years as an elevator agent.
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“He won awards for having the cleanest elevator in the Manitoba Pool elevator system, which is really something because it’s so dusty,” said Maiers.
“But he was a well-regarded manager.”
Maiers’ family from his mother’s side were railroad workers out of Dauphin, Man. This, coupled with his father’s work as an elevator agent, made Maiers passionate about the grain industry.
“I combined all those interests into a book,” he said.
“I just thought it was a good time to get some memories down of my family and write about things I was interested in since I had time on my hands.”
Maiers first book was published in 1999, and since then he has written six books. He said his family fueled his love for storytelling.
“There was always books around the house since I was a little kid and I enjoyed telling stories to my grandma and my mom when I was a kid so it just kept going. I was fortunate enough to make a little bit of a career out of it,” he said.
The book is 27 pages, written by Maiers and filled with photos of the grain industry taken within the past two to three years.
Maiers said he was inspired to start photography because of his dad, who took photos of trains after his retirement.
The photos in the books are one of the highlights for many people.
“I’ve had good feedback and people are impressed with the quality of the photos in the book,” he said. “That has been number one. That seems to be what attracts people to purchase it. And as I said, I’ve had some very highly regarded farmers in this area tell me that there was a lot that they didn’t know what was going on in the industry in the book.”
Maiers said the COVID-19 pandemic made people realize the importance of food and the grain industry and how food is grown and distributed.
“People need to eat and a lot of people don’t know what goes on in the grain industry and it’s so important out here in Western Canada.”
“It’s something people in the area can relate to and across Western Canada.”
