A FARMER'S wife of more than four decades has written a book about her experiences.

Sarah Jane Gardner and her husband, John, have raised animals at their farm in the North Yorkshire Moors for 46 years.

She said: "Over the years I have always kept and diary and thought about writing a book about our family's life.

"Eventually I decided to write it and it took about two months, mainly writing during the evening after working on the farm during the day."

Sarah and John met at agricultural college in 1965 and are both from farming families.

The couple married in June 1970 and have since worked together on their own farm, raising three children now aged 45.43 and 36.

Sarah said: "Living and working in the North Yorkshire Moors for 46 years has been sometimes like paradise and sometimes like hell.

"We had £500 to start our farming business and worked long hard days for many years and did not have any holidays for 30 years. We managed to raise three children and while they were here, before they flew the nest, they helped us on the farm as we had helped out parents."

Sarah added: "We now do have days off , but of course we have to do our own work before we go and when we get back.

"We enjoy a break but are always keen to get home. We love living here and we love our animals."

Sarah said: "We are both very interested in the beautiful landscape and the flora and fauna that we see so much of. I would not change my life because I always wanted to be a farmer's wife."

'To Be A Farmer's Wife' is priced £7.99 and available from local bookshops.