Antler Valley Farm Awarded with the Cliff Doan Award and Rural Beautification for a Working Farm.

Antler Valley Farm celebrates 125 years farming the land Ephriam McAllister homesteaded 1890, in what is now called the Antler Hill district. Wayne and Sherri McAllister are thrilled to have their sons Wade and Scott, the fifth McAllister generation, transitioning to take over the farming business. Today our families farm together with Wayne, Wade and Scott each having their areas of expertise to ensure all the necessary work is accomplished. We farm 3200 acres of barley, canola, wheat and peas but with plans of expanding and a vision and passion to be the best in their industry, there is no stopping our 5th generation. Here is a snapshot of our beginnings.

Ephriam was born February 21, 1856 in Ireland. He arrived in the central Alberta area in 1890 after travelling and working in Ontario and on a ranch near Cochrane. Ephriam married Mary Jane Niblock (born February 1,1865 in Ireland) in the fall of 1891. Mary Jane left Ireland travelling to New York then to Ontario and came west to be with her brothers in 1891. Their first home of logs was built near a trail connecting Pine Lake with the C&E Trail. Later a frame house was built with lumber milled locally. After the rainy seasons returned, about 1900, the house was moved to a higher location where it remained until 1992.

Ephriam and Mary Jane had a family of nine, four sons and five daughters. Their youngest of four sons, Edward Ephriam McAllister, born August 1901 was married on July 19, 1930 to Phyllis Fear and lived on the original homestead in a home Edward built in 1945. In 1984 Edward and Phyllis moved into Innisfail where they resided until their passing.

Edward and Phyllis had two children, a son, Arthur, born July 3, 1932 and a daughter, Dell. They built their home on the homestead across the lane from the Edward’s parents in 1945. This home remains on the homestead. Arthur married Margery Johansson from Markerville in 1954. They lived on the homestead until 1958 when they purchased a farm two miles south of the homestead. Arthur and Margery raised two daughters and one son. Terri (Brian), Wayne (Sherri) and Donna Lynn (Ken).

Wayne married Sherri Wamback on August 18, 1984. They moved into the home built by Edward following their marriage and continue to reside on the original homestead farming the land founded by Wayne’s great-grandfather Ephriam.. They raised two sons, Wade, born January 22, 1988 and Scott, born August 29, 1990.

Wade moved off the farm following his high school graduation and obtained his commercial helicopter license. After four years of flying , Wade returned to his roots and established a home on the homestead. He married Sabrina Kaun August 18, 2012. Wade and Sabrina have a daughter, Mia, born July 11, 2014.

Scott pursued his journeyman Millwright and worked off the farm gaining experience as a Millwright but always knew he wanted to farm just as his great, great, grandfather did. Scott established a home on the original homestead the summer of 2014.

The greatest gift a family could ask for is being together…family preservation. We are blessed to have a working family farm established by a man whom we will never know but his legacy will live on because of the values instilled through the generations of the McAllister Family

The Awards are presented by Red Deer County to the ones nominated for their efforts in taking pride in their Farm or Acreage. There are four classes, the winner of each class is presented a wooden carved plaque "Rural Beautification Award” and out of those four winners they also present what is called the 'Cliff Doan Award' for best overall yard. We were lucky enough to be presented both these awards.