For more than 80 Years we have kept
true to our family values
Our History
1991
Mick and Debbie were awarded the Outstanding Young Farmers of Alberta award, and achievement attained by few in the farming community. Nominees are judged on the progress they have made in their farming career, maximum utilization of soil, water, and energy conservation, as well as crop and livestock husbandry.
1994
MJT hosted its first annual “Back to the Basics” bull sale at the ranch on February 12th. It was a blizzard the night before and -30°C the day of. Despite an uninsulated sale barn the turnout was incredible and the continued support has been amazing. Our customers and friends are truly some of the best around, we couldn’t be more thankful for each and every one of them.
2010
Kurt and Shannon decided it was time to move back to the ranch from the city lights of Edmonton, AB. Although he still ran his business, it was great to be where he loved being most, on the ranch. He and Shannon felt it best that the next generation of Trefiaks could grow up with one of the greatest lifestyles there is, that of a rancher.
2012
Mick and Debbie decided it was time to explore moving to being a commercial operation and held their herd dispersal where they only retained that years calves. This didn’t last long however, soon they were right back producing seedstock as the younger generations expressed interest and passion in the purebreds. Instead MJT continued to produce purebred Herefords and Angus but the management now resembled that of the commercial producer. With soundness, fertility, calving ease, performance, and maternal power being the epitomy of the program for years, now the focus was to minimize days on feed and adopt low management spring calving in addition to those basics that are the foundation of the program
2018
MLL 10Y Rocky 225D ET is added to the list of MJT’s National Champions and proceeded to be named the 2018 Hereford Bull Champion of the world in Fort Worth, TX through PJ Budler’s Champion of the World Competition. This was one of the highs of our operation thus far, Rockys’ dam was sold in our dispersal in 2012 to Matt Lohner
2020
MJT’s first Simmental bulls sell marking the beginning of our Simmental production. We continue to source our Simmental genetics from herds based on the same values as us, the fundamentals. Problem free feet, great maternal characteristics such as, easy calving, tight uddered females who still have feet are musts no matter what breed. Our initial bulls were all out of BGS/BM Captain Scream 63D and LRX Cheyenne 14U/IRCC Bombshell 418B.
2021
After being approached by Brent Fischer of Fischer Charolais (Pleasant View Farms) about potentially purchasing a large portion of his purebred herd, Mick decided further diversification and expansion would be a great idea looking forward at the ranches future. After much debate and discussion among the family, it was decided that we would take Brent up on his offer and purchased a cow base of 40 head from him and his family. We couldn’t be more thankful for the kindness and grace showed by the Fischer family throughout the entirety of our business relations with them.
Breeding & Feeding Philosophy
There are many times in the cattle industry where feed reserves are marginal. More than ever, we recognize the importance of knowing there is a positive return for every dollar spent. At MJT we make every effort to ensure that there is value in your bull buying dollar, be it through our bull development program which ensures the most longevity possible, or our consistent emphasis on sensible birth weights to ensure live calves, minimal labour and high breed back percentages.
Our cattle are raised with the basics in mind with a primary focus on the needs of the commercial cattleman. Basics are what have made the Hereford and Angus breeds attractive for generations. We feel our commitment to this should help you, the rancher, produce predictable and profitable cattle using MJT genetics. We feel that having kept the basics of the cattle business at the forefront of our program is what has built both our herd and reputation. We won’t compromise our principals to chase trends or for short term gain in our own pockets. We believe the most economically important traits for the cow/calf producer are still all about the fundamentals... fertility, longevity, structure and soundness, and fleshing ability.
MJT isn’t in this for the short haul. We have been in the “Bull Business” for four generations. The philosophy has evolved over the years and we feel that the cattle are continuing to improve and are now more consistent than ever. We believe good cattle can sell themselves and we try to offer a good selection of bulls that are affordable to the needs and budget of every rancher. We run the cow herd and the bulls like a commercial outfit, testing the do-ability, winter hardiness, fertility, udder quality and longevity under real world conditions. We know our cows can wean a respectable calf crop under almost any conditions. We strive for low input management, and our cow herd has proven it can graze nearly year round. In 2018, the mature Spring calving cow herd was fed mechanically for only 10 days. It has been our goal for a few years to only feed for a short period at calving and this year we were able to achieve something we only thought to be impossible 10 years ago.
We expect that the bull you buy looks better on sale day than in the photo in the catalog and that he will look better the day we deliver him than the day you bought him.
MJT bulls are developed gently with their futures in mind. They are on pasture for summer and fall grazing. In winter they are fed haylage, a light whole oat ration and corn silage. We don’t use processed grain and protein supplements for sale animals.
We see this as normal development and will not overfeed to get them fat for the sale. We want you to be able to see what each animal has to offer under his hide, so you can pick the best fit for your cow herd. Gradual development in large pastures and big pen sizes ensures mobility, athleticism, and skeletal strength. All bulls are coming Two Year Olds; bulls that can cover more ground, breed more cows and maintain their stature better than a yearling bull.
Our People
The people of MJT Cattle Company are our greatest asset. The hard work of our employees, as well as the friends and family that help us out throughout the year are key to our success.
Our Family
Mick & Deb Trefiak
Owners/Farm Managers
Mick and Deb have been breeding purebred cattle since the mid 1970's and raised their two children, son Kurt and daughter Kristi at the ranch, along the Battle River. Cow's have been central to the operation with no outside income they built and expanded the operation around the Angus and Hereford cowherd.
See MoreThey believe a ranches productive efficiency begins with the cows and allowing nature to have a primary role in selection is the surest path to raising cattle that can get it done reliablyand with the least amount of labor. The biggest driver at the ranch however isn't the cows, it's the customers. Raising an honest product and standing behind it 100% if something goes wrong sums up the philosophy that Mick and Deb have lived by. They see their greatest achievement in passing those same ethics along to their grandsons.
Kurt, Shannon Trefiak
Owners/Farm Managers
Kurt and Shannon were married in 2007 and moved back to the ranch where they built their own place in 2010. From the deck on their house there is a great view of the river valley where the majority of the cows are bred and graze during the summer months.
See MoreKurt and Shannon met at a mutual friend’s calf branding while Shannon was completing her certification as a Registered Nurse and Kurt was managing the Edmonton office for the Instrumentation company he was working for at the time. Once married they were always busy growing an enterprise or building something while still spending weekends and vacation time at the ranch to help out and also get the kids out of the city so they could get dirty.
Having been raised in the city, Shannon initially insisted she would never live “in the middle of no where” but eventually could see all of the benefits “end of the road” living offered her boys. Shannon has been a real driver in moving the Farming and Ranching businesses forward with her ideas and her initiatives to improve and grow. Kurt manages the farming and feed side of the operation and enjoys all aspects of the cattle operation.
Matthew Trefiak
Assistant Farm Manager
Matthew is Kurt and Shannon’s eldest son and has been such a great influence on us all at the ranch and we look forward to his bright future. He has a keen eye for cattle and enjoys working with people. Currently he is attending the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.
See MoreHe is active in the ASA (Ag Students Association) and has become friends with many great people at school. Matthew was selected to be a Loran Scholar that includes many great internship opportunities as well as a large scholarship for his undergrad studies. Matthews first internship was at the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association where he really enjoyed the work and the access to so many leaders in the cattle business.
Ryan & Casey Trefiak
Farmhands
The youngest duo of the family are great helpers around the ranch. Learning all of the things it takes to run the operation from checking and changing oil to tagging calves and riding horses and chasing cows.
See MoreThey are pretty good at keeping the Gopher and Mole population in check and put more miles on the side by side than the rest of us combined. Both are in 4-H with steer and heifer projects. They have also had chickens, rabbits, pigs and goats at one time or another to keep them busy and earn a little extra spending money.
Mark, Kristi, & Kaden Laboucane
Our whole family is very fortunate to have an Uncle and Aunt that are so giving of their time and energy and seem to always be right there when we are in a pinch. Kristi can and has run nearly any piece of equipment and we know we can count on her to bring Martha Stewart type cupcakes to the field and then jump in the tractor if we needed a hand.
See MoreKaden has been a bright light in all of our lives and loves coming to the farm. He runs a “small farm”, not a “play” farm from his living room in Lloyd with all of the animals and equipment perfectly lined up and in order and repeating verbatim Grandpa Micks teachings...some of which make his mom raise an eyebrow! What a beautiful, energetic and smart boy he is and what a blessing he is for all of us.
Our Employees
Jess Verstappen
Northern Alberta Sales Representative
Jess started coming to MJT while she was in college at Lakeland. Since that first fall her role has evolved.
See MoreShe now works at Cargill in the Peace Country, while also maintaining her own commercial and purebred Angus herds. She has been a great liaison between our program and many of our customers in the Northern country, as well as some of our local customers who really appreciate her insight in helping them select their cattle. An excellent Herdswoman, Jess has been integral to the success we have had with our livestock on the road. We are very excited that she was recently nominated to the Agribition Top 50 in Agriculture list.
Jesse Killoran
Jesse started with us in 2020.
See MoreComing form a farming background himself, he has been a valuable asset in our Grain side of things. We also have to appreciate that he is willing to roll up his sleeves and get after any job that needs doing.
Bull Sale Crew
Ty Seutter
Sales Representative/Animal Preparation
Ty is the Owner / Operator of Sparks’n’Spurs Welding. During the slow seasons for welding, you will find him either on the back of a horse, or working on cattle. He has been helping us with Bull Sale preparations and site upgrades when he has been available. He lives in Leduc with his wife Blaine and two daughters.
Brenda & Sydney Perlinger
One of the first cows Matthew purchased himself was from HMS Hi-Cliffe, from Brenda and her husband Carmen Millham, of HMS HiCliffe. They have become more family than friends. They walked our Rocky bull in their herd at HMS Hi-Cliffe. We are very grateful that Brenda and Sydney make the trek up from Outlook, Saskatchewan to spend our Bull Sale weekend with us, and lend a hand.
Lyle & Teri Elton
Hospitality
If you have ever been to MJT for a visit, you know we take our hospitality seriously, and this just may be THE most important job sale day. Teri is Debbie’s sister, and currently lines in New Sarepta. Lyle & Teri come up each year and make sure that no one who attends the MJT Bull Sale leaves hungry or thirsty! We are very appreciative to them and thier friends that have joined them over the years to look after this task on Sale day.
We are very grateful that we have such good friends and family that all come together to make our key operational periods a huge success and a ton of fun. To each and every one, Thank you!
Business Collaborators
We believe that the people and businesses that we have the opportunity to work with throughout the year are integral to our sucess. We would like to thank them all for the part that they play in keeping our operation thriving.
NewLeaf Agronomy
PJ Budler
Cabana Las Anitas
Story Brokers Media House
The Burke Group
Sundown Livestock Transplants
Catalog & Advertisement Production
Alana Williams, Highpoint Design
Maureen Tubman, ShowChampions
Grayden Kay, Rockytop Cattle Company
Bull Sale Collaborators
DLMS
Ryan Hurlburt, Auctioneer
Mark Holowaychuk, OBI Livestock Ltd.
Roger Peters, Peterosa Exports
Community & Charity
MJT Cattle Company is committed to both our local community and our agriculture community. Each year we sponsor a number of local and youth events, as well as a scholarship fund maintained through Summer Synergy. We are grateful to be able to give back to our community.
We also enjoy serving with various community and agricultural organizations.