A study was conducted to determine the contacts between agricultural extension and family farmers in Israel. Structured interviews were conducted with a representative sample of 171 smallholder farmers. Advisers of the official Extension Service and the publications of this service and farmers' monthlies were considered to have contributed to farmers' practical, agricultural knowledge more than other sources of information. Among the activities of the Extension Service, personal farm visits by advisers were preferred, followed by farmers' visits to the extension office and calls to the adviser's home. Group activities, such as courses and group meetings in the village, were seldom mentioned. The majority of farmers would like to receive more economic advice. In comparing the Israeli findings to studies from other countries, Israel was the only country where extension was the main source of information. In Australia, Canada, and West Germany, peers and family were the main source of information. In the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, the press was the main source of information. Television and radio were not considered important sources of information. (Five data tables and 15 references are included.) (CML)