Producer Profile: Experience with Backgrounding with Trevor Atchison

Trevor Atchison operates Poplarview Stock Farm with his wife Melissa, their two children Reese and Wyatt, his parents Lloyd and Joan Atchison and nephew Tyler Scott. Poplarview Stock Farm was recognized as a Century Farm in 2005. Trevor’s children and nephew are the 5th generation. 

The farm is located just east of Pipestone, MB in sandy soils bordering Plum Lake. The operation utilizes a land base of 9000 acres of deeded and rented land for pasture, hay, and 700-900 annually cropped acres that produce silage feed grains and some cash crops. 

Around 750-800 cows are calved annually in May/June with the calves predominantly sired by Limousin bulls. Calves are weaned and backgrounded with additional purchases of 200-350 calves.  They annually pasture around 500 of these calves as yearlings for this summer.

In today’s episode, Trevor tells us about the large operation that he and his family own and operate here in Manitoba.  He is a regenerative cattle farmer with and intentional focus on soil health and utilizes rotational grazing and extended grazing in his operation.  We discuss how the operation has changed over the years and how it has evolved into the enterprises that are run today.  

Included in their operation is a large calf backgrounding enterprise, which is the focus of most of our conversation.  Trevor shares what his experience has been in backgrounding calves and what he has learned along the way.  We discuss growth implants and how these have worked in their operation.  Trevor also shares how he utilizes feed that is produced on farm in his backgrounding system, and how this changes with the year.

Trevor also shares some of his marketing strategies, economics of backgrounding in his operation, his daily cost of gain and costs, and target profit.  We wrap up with some information about his goals moving forward with the business.

To contact Trevor, call him at 204-522-5542 or email him at poplarviewfarm@gmail.com

Or follow Poplarview Stock Farm on Facebook.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Beef Cattle Research Council Silage Cost of Production Formula: https://www.beefresearch.ca/blog/silage-cost-of-production/

MB Ag Cost of Production Spreadsheets: https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/farm-management/cost-production/index.html

The research programs and daily operations at MBFI would not be possible without the funding from the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada, and Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, as well as the partnership with Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC).

We encourage you to follow MBFI on social media, or check out the website for more information on project findings and results, upcoming events and more!

Instagram: @MBBeefandForage

Facebook: @MBBeefandForage

X (Twitter): @MBBeefandForage

Website: www.mbfi.ca 

Email address: information@mbfi.ca 

Mary-Jane’s Phone Number: 431-255-0011