When you arrive at the gate of a ranch in Red Deer County, Alberta, a black and white farm dog may be there to greet you. The dog will escort your car past a few cozy houses, to a parking lot next to a red barn with a white bay door and a sign that reads Future Farms. This is the home of Luke Marshall, a second-generation farmer who, alongside his family, raise Charolais and Angus cattle. I caught up with Luke for a chat about the On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF), its influence on holistic approaches to sustainability, and what that means for resiliency and legacy in today’s world of farming.
The Alberta sun peeks shyly from behind a layer of pale, gray clouds, casting a cool light over the grain silos where I met Luke. He’s young, tall, and has an easy smile that cuts through the November chill. Rolling hills stretch out to the south, cloaked in a thin veil of white, with clusters of pine trees punctuating the horizon. On sunnier days, Luke tells me, you can see the Rocky Mountains.
Early-season snow creaks softly underfoot as we walk to the first pen lined with heads of hungry Charolais cattle. Luke’s father raised Charolais, and Luke carries that tradition on, favoring the breed for its growth efficiency and muscle structure. “Agriculture is a legacy thing,” he says. “I think it’s cool to be a second generation, working with a breed I really believe in. I’m grateful to carry that on.” When his sister told him about the federally funded On-Farm Climate Action Fund, powered by RDAR, he saw an opportunity to try new practices on his farm with less financial risk. The fund allowed him to implement sustainable changes like cover cropping, nitrogen management, and rotational grazing systems—practices that have helped him to adapt and build a more resilient operation.
Future Farms has invested its OFCAF funding in a solar-powered watering system, cover crop seed, and portable electric fencing. One of the standout upgrades was the watering system, which uses solar panels, geothermal energy, and motion sensors to keep water accessible to the herd year-round.
It’s an effective system for a few reasons: it keeps cattle out of the dugout, keeps the water cleaner, and helps provide a better habitat by minimizing erosion, reducing contamination, and supporting biodiversity in and around the water source. Some studies even indicate that calves that had access to clean water gained up to 9% more weight than calves that drank directly from the dugout. It’s a low-maintenance solution that ensures a reliable, clean water source, which Luke describes as "the most important nutrient".
When the system detects motion, a pump brings water up to the surface from a wet well, filling the bowl for around a minute. After the cow drinks and walks away, the water drains back down to prevent freezing.
Rotational grazing has also become a cornerstone of Luke’s operation. Using his portable electric fencing unit, he can quickly set up and take down fencing, drastically cutting the time and effort needed to move his cows to greener pastures. On a day like today, snow sticks to everything, yet in some feat of engineering, the solar panel that powers the unit remains clear. Luke points out an instrument within the device’s interior that indicates it is still charging despite the clouds in the sky. He explains how they’ve been using the fencing to rotate the herd, sectioning off the field like slices of a pie and allowing the cows to graze one area at a time. As they add more cows and move through each section, they reach the optimal grazing density. The herd now has a full run of the field, picking through the leftovers, and grazing on what is left of the forage, before being moved to fresh pasture.
As we walk through the meadow, Luke bends down and brushes some snow aside, searching for remnants of the cover crop planted in the spring — a vibrant mix of sunflowers, grasses, barley, oats, and turnips. The snow hides most of the plants, but Luke recalls a summer when the fields were blooming. “Some of the grasses were tall enough to reach my nose,” he says with a slight grin, “and there were big turnips everywhere.” This is the second year Future Farms has planted cover crops, though this time without funding, as the OFCAF program only supports the first year in any given field. Although visible soil improvements will take time, the strong forage yield and quality are already a clear win for the operation.
Luke mentions they have been dealing with nitrogen issues, alleviated, in part, by implementing nitrogen management as suggested by OFCAF. Green and gold clusters of alfalfa stick up through a small blanket of snow, covering the entire field. They’re nitrogen fixers, fixing as much as 300 pounds of nitrogen per acre per year — more than any other legume crop. Alfalfa meets 70 – 90 percent of its nitrogen needs through Rhizobium bacteria in its root nodules, leaving that nitrogen in the soil after the plant is harvested, cutting input costs and boosting fertility.
While the process of building organic matter and improving soil health doesn’t happen overnight, Luke points out how the cover crops are already doing their job. As we look across the field, livestock are grazing. But they’re not just grazing, they’re spreading manure, enriching the soil with nutrients. Their hooves lightly disturb the soil surface, helping water soak in more efficiently. The spring’s turnips, with their thick roots, are loosening compacted soil, paving the way for better water and nutrient cycling before they break down into green manure. This is why Luke has continued cover cropping into a second year, even without OFCAF funding. The field holds promise: improved soil structure, better water retention, and increased organic matter.
There are three streams of funding through OFCAF. Together, these three pillars encompass the foundation of a sustainable farming operation. As Luke explains, sustainability isn’t about isolated practices — it’s about taking a holistic approach. “Sustainability needs to be all-encompassing — everything from the soil to the grass, to the cattle, to the air, to the water, and also the economic and generational factors,” he says. For Luke, these aspects are crucial.
“If I knew right now that my boys didn’t want to do this, I probably wouldn’t work so hard at it. But we’re trying to build something. I want to build a legacy and raise my boys in a way that makes them want to carry it forward. If they don’t, I’ll understand, but hopefully, they will.”
Luke Marshall
To Luke, sustainability has many definitions, it isn’t just about the environment — it’s about creating a viable future for his kids and generations to come. “If it’s not economically sustainable along the way, none of us are going to have the opportunity to do it,” he explains. He likens this all-encompassing approach to breeding practices in the purebred industry, noting: “Any time you start selecting for a single trait, you end up creating other problems.” To Luke, sustainability is a full-circle concept, one that’s exemplified by the OFCAF program’s holistic approach. Programs like OFCAF, he says, aren’t just about funding — they’re about creating a shift in how farmers think about their operations. By removing the financial risk of trying something new, they open the door for farmers to test ideas, learn from them, and ultimately integrate the practices that work best for their unique circumstances.
When asked for advice for farmers considering OFCAF, Luke keeps it simple: “Give it a whirl.” “In agriculture, we sometimes get too caught up in doing things the way Grandpa or Dad did because it worked,” he says. “But just because it ain’t broke doesn’t mean you don’t need to tinker with it.” As an old mentor once told him, the value of small, incremental improvements — saving pennies rather than dollars — can add up to significant changes over time.
As we return to the red barn I arrived at an hour earlier, the sun begins to heat up the land and the fresh November snow. Chunks of ice start to slide off the sloped roof of the barn into the melting banks below. A faint breeze carries the distant lowing of cattle and the black and white dog returns to my side. The quiet, steadfast rhythms of this place reflect the legacy Luke is building here at Future Farms — a future rooted in both innovation and a deep respect for the land.