Farmer Annie and her prize-winning sheep: Joanne Coates' best photograph

'Sheep are Annie's passion. She won an award with this north country cheviot. It's put on a stand to keep it still'I moved back home to rural North Yorkshire in 2016, where I met my partner, a farmer. When you spend a lot of time on a farm, you end up helping out. I'm not from a farming background so I joined a Facebook group for women in farming to feel a bit more supported. You can ask about practical things - no question is a stupid one.I was photographing working-class women in agriculture when I started a residency with the Maltings in Berwick for my series Daughters of the Soil. I put out a call in that Facebook group asking if any women there would be up for being involved. Only five responded but there was a snowball effect: each one directed me to someone else. Continue reading...