The Allaer family farm – how it all began!

The late Gaston Allaer (2011) immigrated with his entire family from East Flanders, Belgium to Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada in 1948. Gus and his family brought with them a solid agricultural background and a strong work ethic. The fertile land and temperate climate are ideal for producing a wide variety of crops, and Wallaceburg’s close proximity to the Windsor, ON/Detroit, MI border supported a strong manufacturing industry that attracted immigration from Europe to fill the demand for workers.

Together with his father, mother and brothers, Gus began his life in Canada – working hard in the local sugar beet fields. Soon after, his parents Philemon and Maria Allaer purchased a 100 acre farm which would be the beginning of the Allaer family farm. By 1965, Gus was able to purchase the homestead from his parents by both farming and working in Wallaceburg’s glass manufacturing industry.

Together, Gus and wife Lea raised six children on that homestead in Wallaceburg, passing on to them a strong, ambitious work ethic and a passion for agriculture that has become the foundation of their success. These qualities were passed on to the generations that followed, allowing for steady growth of the family business which is now known as SERKKA Farms – a large-scale and diverse farming operation.