By Angela Lovell
Photography by Nicole Hopaluk Photography
People have often asked Wade and Scott McAllister how they farm 3,500 grain acres with just four people and one combine. Their answer: by using technology, improving efficiency, keeping meticulous records, challenging accepted ways of doing things, and not being afraid to try something new.
The McAllister brothers own and operate Antler Valley Farm with their parents, Wayne and Sherri, near Red Deer, Alberta. Proud to be one of many top malt producers in Canada, they grow three different varieties of malt barley, as well as specialty malts including oat, rye, and soft white wheat under contract with Canada Malting. They also grow CPS wheat, peas, and canola.
Besides the McAllisters, there is only one full-time employee, Jim Leslie, who has worked with the family for 40 years; 30 years on Wade’s father-in-law’s seed farm and the past 10 at Antler Valley Farm.
Going off-farm to learn new skills
When the brothers completed high school, the farm wasn’t big enough for them to stay and work, so Wayne—an agricultural engineer—encouraged his sons to experience off-farm careers.
“I always felt it was important to gain different skills in different areas, and before you become your own boss, to work for somebody else,” Wayne says. “Then you understand, once you have employees, how to treat them.”
Wade moved to Kelowna to train as a helicopter pilot and spent four years flying, fighting fires, monitoring pipelines, or moving drills to the Northwest Territories. He quickly gained skills and a reputation rare for someone 20 years old. He still actively flies and for the past six years has chiselled out two to three weeks each summer to fight fires with Alberta Forestry.
Younger brother Scott attended Red Deer College to train as a millwright and competed in the Skills Canada challenge, winning a gold medal in Alberta and a silver medal in the national competition. He then worked at Collicutt Energy Services to obtain his journeyman status.
Using technology to be more efficient
Using technology to make them more efficient has been central to their operation and the impetus behind their purchase, four years ago, of a 60-foot SeedMaster ultra single-rank seed drill with an integrated 750-bushel tank and 15-inch seed spacing, which has saved them money on operating costs.
“The SeedMaster drill only requires 400 horsepower to pull it, whereas a competitor’s drill that size would need over 550 horsepower, so we can do what we used to do with our old drill but far cheaper,” Wade says. “Other technology on the drill includes turn compensation, sectional control, full scales, and variable rate technology by section.”
The farm has been under zero tillage management since 2002, and going from six-inch seed spacing to 15 inches has helped provide many benefits, including less disease and less soil disturbance, in turn improving soil health by increasing organic matter and reducing nitrogen fertilizer use.
Off-farm experiences bring benefits
Their off-farm training and experiences have brought many benefits to the farm operation—some obvious, like Scott’s and Wade’s mechanical skills, but others less so, like Wade’s meticulous attention to maintenance and record-keeping, which is crucial for a pilot.
As malt barley growers, the McAllisters are used to keeping detailed records about every aspect of their operation, from seeding and spraying to harvest and weather during the season. Buyers pay a premium for knowing where the grain came from and how it was produced.
Grain dryer is their second combine
The efficiency of their operation has been improved significantly by their grain drying capacity. Going to a large dryer with three fans and multiple zones allows them to dry malt without affecting germ quality, maintaining a high-quality product.
“We dry a lot of grain, and that’s basically like us having a second combine,” Scott says. “We are not scared to dry grain.”
Having the dryer has saved them the cost of another combine and header, as well as the associated costs of another operator and truck for hauling.
Robot seeding
Two years ago, the McAllisters worked with Olds College to run an autonomous seeder trial on some of their acres. The autonomous seeder and their big drill worked together, reducing seeding time by half. Although the trial was a success, the McAllisters don’t plan to give up their seats to robots anytime soon.
“We enjoy running the equipment,” Wade says. “Driving through your quarter twice a year, doing herbicide and fungicide applications, you get a good grasp on how everything is looking, so you can address any problems.”
Agri-Trade: A family tradition
The McAllisters value involvement in the agriculture industry. Wade served 10 years on the Agri-Trade show board, following in the footsteps of his father-in-law.
The family tradition of attending Agri-Trade continues with Wade and Scott taking their children to the show. “It’s a big toy box for kids, and they love to go and climb on every piece of equipment,” Wade says.