Lincolnshire Farmers Reap Vastly Different Harvests Amid Drought

In September 2025, Lincolnshire farmers James Brown and Robert Cauldwell are facing starkly contrasting fortunes amid the region's ongoing drought.

James Brown, an organic farmer near Gainsborough, is celebrating a bumper crop of broccoli and a surge in orders. His success is largely attributed to a private 10-acre reservoir that holds 140 million liters of water, which has allowed his crops to thrive despite the intense sunshine and dry conditions.

In stark contrast, Robert Cauldwell has lost an entire field of 160,000 cauliflowers on his family farm near Boston. The drought has devastated his crop, leaving gaps on supermarket shelves. Cauldwell has traveled to drier regions in Europe, observing how farmers there value water as a precious resource, unlike in the UK where it is often treated as waste.

Both farmers have decades of experience and access to high-tech machinery, yet their fortunes have diverged due to their differing access to water. Brown's reservoir, built in 2012 with the help of EU grants, has proven invaluable in 2025, the driest summer since 1976. Cauldwell, however, has been left counting the cost of his shriveled crop.

The contrasting experiences of these two farmers highlight the urgent need for policy changes to address the UK's water management challenges. Farmers like Brown believe they should be allowed to sell excess water from their reservoirs, which could incentivize more investment in water storage solutions. As the country grapples with the impacts of climate change, the ability to effectively manage this precious resource will be crucial for the future of British agriculture.