Episode 4: What Happens When the Rain Doesn't Come, How Does Drought Affect Consumers and the Storm Around Plant Based Products

Wilson & Ashley

Put your thoughts into the mix

In this episode of the Wilson and Ashley Podcast, we’re talking about the weather. Yes, we know that farmers are always complaining about it being too wet, too windy, too cold...but why does it matter?

With dry, cracked fields and brown fields becoming the norm across the UK, we want to explore the reality of farming through the extremes. Inspired by a recent post from the Funky Farmer, and the flood of comments that followed, we reflect on what drought actually means on our farms — not just in terms of grass growth and yields, but also the emotional toll.

Some parts of the country might have been blessed with some recent showers, but we ask: is it too little, too late? We hear from some of our farming listeners who share their honest thoughts on the topic. But do consumers understand any of this? Does drought, and everything that comes with it, make any real difference to what ends up in people’s shopping baskets — or is it business as usual in the eyes of the public?

That question leads us straight into the world of plant-based branding, and a new marketing campaign for oat milk.

We talk about Olly Harrison’s recent collaboration with Alpro, where he speaks as a British farmer about the sustainability of UK-grown oats. It's caused a bit of a stir online, with some people confusing Alpro’s campaign with the more controversial tone of Oatly. We look at the facts — including the only advert the ASA has pulled recently (and why it wasn’t one of the aggressive anti-farming ones) — and we ask what this shift in messaging means for the future of food and farming.

Charlotte gives her gut reaction as a dairy farmer to oat milk: can we embrace plant-based products, and is there such a thing as a "good news" story for UK farming in the alternative dairy space?

We explore Alpro’s claims about sustainability, crop rotations, and regenerative farming, and weigh up the pros, cons, and consumer confusion around what it really means to “support local.”

Hold tight because this one is a jam packed episode! Part weather report, part industry analysis, and part marketing masterclass — all with that classic straight talking Wilson and Ashley.

If you’ve got a story, a strong opinion, or a take of your own… Slide into the DMs or drop us a voice note — we want your thoughts in the mix!

Subscribe now and let’s get into it!

@wilsonandashley

@rebeccawilsonfarming

@charlotteashleyfarm

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Chapters

1. INTRODUCTION (00:00:00)

2. THE DROUGHT (00:08:04)

3. THE OAT MILK DEBATE (00:21:39)

4. FINAL THOUGHTS (00:31:50)