Excel Ranches U.S.: Limousin Leaders Treasure Tradition And Focus On Industry Progress
By: Emma Alexander -
Trevor Miller purchased his first cow, ‘Envious’, at the age of 11 on his family’s beef ranch in Alberta, Canada, before a variety of opportunities led him to multiple places in the United States. During those years, ranch life called to him. Today, Trevor and his wife, Lauren, and children, Braxton and Kinsley, raise registered Limousin cattle on Excel Ranches U.S., near Perryville in #Agri-Ready Designated Perry County. They are the first generations of the Miller family to produce beef in the United States. Trevor and his family are utilizing the economic advantages Missouri agriculture offers to beef producers.
#Agri-Ready Designated Perry County. Missouri is ranked third nationally in beef cow inventory. According to the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, #Agri-Ready Designated Perry County ranks fourth for cattle and calves in Missouri. The county’s agricultural economy contributes $341.5 million in total value-added products, supports more than 5,700 jobs, and adds $293.0 million annually to household incomes according to the 2021 Missouri Economic Contribution of Agriculture and Forestry Study.
Getting Back to the Farm
“When we began thinking with a family mentality, it became clear to me that I was anxious to get back to farm life,” Trevor shares. “The things kids learn daily growing up with cattle, learning the cycle of life makes farms a great place for families to grow.” Referencing his college degree, Trevor continues, “I believe in education, but some things aren’t taught in a classroom. What draws me to agriculture is that it is one of the last sectors of industry that can be truly family oriented, where corporate hasn’t taken over everything and the government is not the leader.”
Here and There
The Millers chose to build a life in #Agri-Ready Designated Perry County and purchased their farm in 2019. Lauren practices ER medicine, and the family can easily catch a flight to visit Canada. Trevor established Excel Ranches U.S. as an extension of his family’s operation and began building his own beef business, bringing ten Limousin females from the Canadian herd to Missouri. Most of these females are descendants of ‘Envious.’
Choosing Missouri
Trevor’s parents established Excel Ranches and began raising Limousin cattle in 1986. His dad and brother manage the original family operation in Alberta with nearly 300 registered Limousin breeding cows. Trevor described the process of moving breeding stock cattle to the United States from Canada as an adventure full of tests, costs, and paperwork. “Due diligence to not miss a step in the process was paramount. It made the process relatively smooth,” Trevor remembers.
Dialing-In on Breed Design
Trevor protects traits for heavy muscling while adamantly focusing on docility and fertility in his beef production strategy. “We help preferred and needed traits rise to dominance faster, and in doing so the breed is now recognized for its docility,” Trevor describes.
Data Driven Improvements
“I enjoy using the progeny and DNA data tools to direct and choose production of animals that fit the expectations of today’s cattlemen,” Trevor says. “The beef industry needs to progress with technology. It gives us answers and solutions easier than ever before.” Livestock data tools give producers a marketing edge in today’s markets.
Harnessing Online Opportunities
For the first time, Trevor offered show quality and seedstock animals for sale online through the L365 platform, an online community promoting Limousin genetics. “I don’t have enough cattle to have a live auction, so it is a benefit to a small producer like me to offer my cattle for sale online,” Trevor shares. “Online sales save buyers and sellers time and money.”
Advantages of Diversification
Trevor sells heifers and bulls under private treaty direct from his farm, participates in the Show-Me-Select® Heifer Sale, and sells several direct to consumer beef each year. Trevor has built a business relationship with a meat processor in Festus that will connect him to the St. Louis market pending USDA inspection status. “Selling beef direct from the farm to the St. Louis region is an opportune market. It’s always good to diversify the markets we are selling into,” Trevor says.
The Next Generation
Lauren is a native of the Atlanta metro who had never left the city, and her first visit to Excel Ranches in Canada was an epic journey. As a medical professional working through the Covid period, Lauren gained even more appreciation for the opportunity to adjust to and experience farm life. Trevor and Lauren’s children, Braxton (8) and Kinsley (6), are members of a local 4-H club and show cattle as members of the Missouri Junior Limousin Association. Trevor is building his professional community in Missouri as a board member of the Missouri Limousin Breeders Association.
Excel Ranches U.S. is a member of the SEMO Cattlemen’s group, an affiliate of Missouri Cattlemen's Association, a partner of Missouri Farmers Care.
