After WWII there was little work or viable farmland in Germany, so in October 1951 led by Karl and Anneliese, the Magnus family decided to immigrate to Canada. Karl, a farmer by trade, wanted land to establish his own farm ever since his youth. The Magnus family embarked on an arduous two-week journey across the Atlantic Ocean to Canada via the "MV Beaverbrae." The ship sailed every 28 days with 773 passengers, fully loaded and over-crowded, with triple bunks in steerage. After eleven cramped days on board, the ship docked in Quebec City. The weary and tired young family then boarded a steam train heading West to complete their voyage to Luseland, Saskatchewan.
For the next eight years, Karl worked as a farm hand, farmed rented land, and worked winter lumber camps in Slave Lake, Alberta. The entire family worked together to earn and save enough money to pay off the debt for their sponsorship to Canada, and hopefully find land of their own to purchase. Around Luseland, farmland was not available for purchase or was too expensive. Karl started searching farther afield.
In the spring of 1959, the family packed their possessions and left for Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. They had found an affordable farm on the cusp of the Canadian wilderness. Karl's dream of owning his own farm had finally come to fruition. Karl, Anneliese and their two daughters, Gisela and Vera, squeezed into the old truck and headed off for their new home. Their two sons, Arnold and Harald, had a more uncomfortable ride. Strapping down the rest of their belongings on a wagon and hooking up the W4, the boys drove the tractor. Exposed to the elements from Luseland to Rocky Mountain House; a 434 km drive. In the end, they made the trip twice, going back with the W4 to pick up the combine in the Fall!
The new farm had a beautiful forest, rolling hills, fertile fields and a meandering creek full of fish. It was everything Karl and Anneliese had been working towards. After settling in, the family got right to work. Day by day, through hard work, patience and determination the farm grew. As time passed, it became clear that Harald was going to continue in his father's footsteps and take over the farming operation.
By the time he met and wed the love of his life Diane, in 1972, Harald was running the day to day operation of Last Hill Creek Farms Ltd. As with most estate transitions, land and asset was redistributed. In time, opportunities arose for Harald and Diane to purchase new land and expand their cattle herds. With the expansion of the farm, so to, came the additions to the family. By 1985, they were a family of five welcoming Erin, Brian and Carmen.
To make the next transition financially viable for the third generation of the Magnus family farm, I (Brian) started my career path working on and off the farm. The goal was to put myself in a position where I felt I could farm full time and support my family. This spring I began farming full time and I am looking forward to what the future holds for my family and the farming operation. Over the years the farm has been restructured from a cattle and dairy operation to what it is today, hay and grain farming. I have the best coach and mentor in my father, Harald, and will be forever grateful to the family that came before me, making this opportunity possible for us.
When Nolan and Jennifer from Rival Trade Brewing Co. approached my wife Celyn and I about the possibility of providing them with malt barley for a locally sourced brew, we were really excited. We were fortunate enough to harvest a fantastic crop of Fraser malt barley in the Fall of 2022. This is a great collaboration of local businesses and we are proud and honored to be the first provider of malt barley brewed within Clearwater County. We would like to thank Rival Trade Brewing Co. for taking the time to shine a light on the local farming community. From our farm to your table, cheers!
Sincerely,
Brian and Celyn Magnus
