JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) - A group of eight farmers, taking a page from the movie "Calendar Girls," have posed nude in a calendar they hope will raise money for their local farmers association.

One of the men said Friday that orders for the calendar were streaming in but acknowledged the group was bracing for criticism.

"It's expected that someone would say something just for the sake of commenting," said Jaap van Rensburg, a member of the Gorenbloem Farmers' Association, told the South African Press Association. "Those who are critical are free to call us."

The president of another farmers' group lashed out at the project, inspired by a movie about the true story of a group of middle-aged British women who produced a nude calendar to raise money for a local hospital.

Paul van der Walt of the Transvaal Agricultural Union said he was shocked and his union would distance itself from the calendar. Photographer Danie Blignaut said the farmers initially only wanted to print 500 copies of the calendar but were persuaded to print 1,000.

The fear factor

Feeding the multitude

DANGEROUS PETS