FARMERS wives are going back to nature to try to boost the rural economy.

The women, all members of the Women's Farmers Union (WFU), have stripped off to pose for a calendar.

They hope the saucy snaps will raise money for farmers whose livelihoods have been devastated by the foot-and-mouth crisis - as well as improving the wives' image.

Yvonne Scales, of Cornhill Farm, in East Cowton, North Yorkshire, has organised fellow farmers' wives and daughters to pose for the photos.

She said: "There is a misconception about farmers and their wives. We want to get away from the image that farmers' wives don't wear make-up and all have welly rash.

"These photos show that we have a sense of humour and there's more to us than looking after the farmhouse."

Most of the photos for the calendar have already been taken along with strategically placed cattle, sheep and horses.

Others show women working at their own businesses, such as baking, to bring money into the farming economy.

Yvonne said: "The calendar will show the many ways farms have had to diversify to make money and hopefully bring a smile to the faces of people who have been devastated by the state of farming."

The WFU are looking for sponsors to help produce the calendar, which should be available for sale in September.

All money raised will go to the national WFU and will then be distributed to those farmers and their families in the region who have been most affected by the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Yvonne said: "There is a lot of need in the industry at the moment.

"No one has escaped. Even those farms who have not had the disease have had to restrict the movement of their stock."

The crisis has even affected the production of the calendar, with no pigs available for photo shoots.

Yvonne said: "I would like to get three pigs and pig farmers' wives for the front cover of the calendar, but it has been difficult to get on to pig farms with the foot-and-mouth crisis.

"Every other farm animal is represented, so it would be nice to have pigs featured as well."