In recent years the development of rural enterprises has increasingly attracted attention amongst the development community owing to the broadening of opportunities for the commercialization of smallholder agriculture. Despite this interest, there are several factors that continue to limit the capacity of farmers and rural entrepreneurs to make an effective contribution to sustainable and equitable economic growth. Many of these factors are well recognized and include inadequate economies of scale, the high risks associated with farming, lack of capital assets and infrastructure, limited access to markets and inadequate technical and business skills. Donors and practitioners have gained significant experience in the organization and delivery of business development services (BDS) for small enterprise development. Information has been gathered on: i) how BDS markets operate; ii) methodologies for assessing BDS performance; iii) intervention strategies to develop these markets. However, the research base has largely been urban-centred and little work has been carried out on the provision of business services at farm level, particularly in remoter rural areas where markets are weak. In contrast to off-farm activities, which tend to be more businesslike in nature, farming is extremely complex since it is both a business and a way of life. The nature of the farm household, as both a producer and consumer with multiple goals, requires close attention and more in-depth investigation. The provision of support services to farmers lies at the core of development efforts. Regardless of the rich literature on BDS that has emerged over the years, the topic of services and service provision for farmers in rural areas has not been well documented and systematically appraised. It is hoped that the case studies contained in this document will contribute towards rectifying this gap.