Bored Panda got in touch with the representative to get to know more about the creative process. The creator of the calendar series, Ciara Ryan, revealed to us where it all began. “In 2009, just before I started the calendar, I saw how popular the Dublin Fire Brigade Calendar was and it got me thinking if the urban firemen had their own calendars, then why shouldn't the rural farmers, one of Ireland's best features, not also have their own calendar. So I wanted to show off the Irish farmers in funny poses and over the years we have gotten more sexy than funny, but we always feature a bit of both. The idea went down a treat, both in Ireland and abroad.”
Ciara also shared that “the goal is to be the longest-running calendar in the world. I'll happily keep doing this in my senior years if my heart can take it!”
The creator of the calendar series told the story about her favorite shot. “In the 2013 calendar, we had a farmer posing with a stop sign with a chicken crossing the road beneath it. It was a play on the joke 'why did the chicken cross the road'. That was a very popular shot. The BBC featured it on their satirical show Have I Got News For You and we were thrilled with such exposure. It really is such a classic shot.”
Other photos also have a backstory worth sharing. “In 2012, we had a farmer in the bath with a real duck and the duck defecated on the farmer but he was a team player and laughed it off. However, he was perplexed to hear that we had to get him back in the bath with the duck a few months later as a German TV station wanted to recreate the photo shoot for a primetime show. Charlie, the farmer in question, was fantastic about it in the end and the film crew was falling over with laughter as the duck gave a repeat performance, so to speak!”
Ciara also has shared her favorite aspects of creating the Farmers Calendar. “Brainstorming ideas, visiting farms, and seeing the potential for good shots. As animals don't always pose the way you want them to, sometimes what comes out in print works out better than your original plan but really, the photoshoots are the most fun and funniest part of the creative process.”
Lastly, the response to the calendar was overall positive. “People know the calendar is good wholesome fun. They can see that there was fun and, as the Irish say, 'craic' in the making of it. This fun shines through in the photos. People like this fun positivity on their walls. It makes people laugh and we're very happy we succeeded in putting a smile on people's faces.”
