The objective of this study was to examine the contribution of agricultural extension services to the productivity and socioeconomic profile of dairy cattle farmers. In addition, the hypothesis that there were important differences among rural smallholder farming communities in relation to dairy cattle productivity and socioeconomic characteristics was tested. Using two-stage cluster sampling, 100 dairy farming households were recruited from several areas of a typical Greek region. The analysis confirmed the hypothesis that there were important differences among the selected areas, mainly in relation to the likelihood of obtaining training and to basic management practices.