About Us

Dex-Info, the Dexter Cattle Information Resource Website, is a venture of John Paterson, with support from other Dexter breeders.

John Paterson is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Societies and Cultures at the University of Waikato (www.waikato.ac.nz), teaching social science research and undertaking research in rural sociology. He has been a regular contributor of articles about Dexters on the Internet to national Dexter Bulletins, and also has written on smallfarming and rare livestock breeds. He has been a contributor to the NZ-based website www.lifestyleblock.co.nz.

John farms Waikoha Smallfarm (a 14 acre smallholding) near Hamilton, New Zealand, and runs a small herd of graded Dexters.

The idea of the Dex-Info website arose after John had written a paper on Dexters on the Internet for the Second World Dexter Congress. One of his conclusions was that a Dexter Subject Directory was needed. He realised that his research provided the basis for such a Directory. Dex-Info is built around that original research project, up-dated, revised and expanded.

Much of the research underlying this website comes from John's own experience in using the Internet. However, a period of Study Leave in 2003, supported financially by the University of Waikato, enabled him to visit a number of Dexter website operators in the UK, as well as other Dexter breeders and rare breed centres. John is indebted to those who hosted him at this time and who have continued to assist his research.

A number of people have provided important material, ideas, support and enthusiasm for this website. These include Heather Cunningham, Beverley McCulloch and Michael Trotter, and Virginia Poland (all from New Zealand), Duncan MacIntyre (Scotland), and Debbie Davis (USA). Thanks to Adrian Dietrich for information on the Swiss Dexter organisation and its website and to Silke Warneke for drawing my attention to the website of the German Association BDDZ. Ted Neal has responded very generously to my approach about the possibility of posting photos and text from his book "The Life and Times of Dexters". Carol Davidson (Canada) has kindly provided the text of her article on Dexters in Canada. Appreciation is also expressed to those who have included a link on their website to Dex-Info.

During the first year in the life of Dex-Info, John regularly expanded the information on it. After that, additions have been much more irregular.