Hi from me - I'm an American but have lived in south Oxfordshire for over 22 years now, in a market town for most of that time.  I have an English husband, is why I'm here.  I've been interested in country things since I was a child but haven't been able to do all I'd like to so far.  I guess I'm more of a smallholder type person (wannabe) than a farmer but I have long been interested in farming too (not for doing, but in knowing about as it affects so many issues in life). 

 I have 5 children with the oldest, 21, going into the Army (DV) this fall, next oldest works in a workplace canteen, and the three others are still studying at home.  We have home educated the lot (and still do).   

 We have chickens (whose eggs give me a bit of pin money) and a vegetable garden and this year gained an allotment which frankly has been a failure but I have plans to get up again from where the rain and slugs have knocked me down.   We also have a terrier pup which I hope to work at ratting (above ground only) when she is old enough, hopefully I will find a mentor to help me with that.  

 I like baking, reading, all sorts of crafts, and learning new skills (cheesemaking is one I've dipped my toe in and want to progress in).  We do a fair bit of hedgerow gathering and I do a lot of preserving (including pressure canning).  We attend a reformed Baptist church in a nearby village.

 If I ever do get a little homestead or smallholding I would like to have Dexters as well as my chickens. I would finally be able to breed from my own hens which I would love to do (cheaper to replace them that way), I think it would be a lot of fun too to breed specific colors of Pekins.  

 I guess that was more like me in an eggshell rather than a nutshell.  :) 

Rosesandtea:

 If I ever do get a little homestead or smallholding I would like to have Dexters

Stick with your dream, but I would have a longer legged cow/cows to milk and make cheese,  they're a bit too low to the ground, think of your back, ya not as young as you were. (speaking from experience)

http://www.fwi.co.uk/community/blogs/fretaw/archive/2009/04/11/gardening-as-a-pastime.aspx

 Thank you for the reply and encouragement Owd Fred.

LOL about not being young and having Dexters.   Not only my age but my height might be an issue - I'm probably a lot taller than the Irish crofter women who Dexters were developed for.

 Can you recommend another breed with the reputation for sweet temperament that the Dexters have?  Another aspect is the size, Dexters need much less space for grazing, so I can't go for something large as we will likely never have much land.    What about Channel Island breeds?

I milked Jerseys and Jersey crosses through high school and for years after as we built up our farm (hand milking)   use a decent beef bull and the calves will make passsable freezer beef for home consumption and friends/family, the fat is yellow but the meat is fine grained and good eating, steer clear of Jersey bulls, they have a nasty streak!

 Thanks for that, Andy.  I did not know that about Jersey bulls!