This case study presents the research and outcomes of three ACIAR-funded projects to improve Bali cattle production for smallholders in eastern Indonesia. The projects—conducted between 2001 and 2008—developed and tested an approach that combined the principles of participatory, on-farm engagement with farmers, and farming systems analysis and modelling. Their main purpose was to encourage the uptake of technologies that improve the productivity and welfare of smallholder households. Trials of the different options were conducted over a two-year period, involving 40 selected households from four sites in eastern Indonesia. The case study demonstrates how the uptake of these technologies is starting to bring substantial benefits to the smallholders, their families and communities such as increased forage and livestock production, labour savings, and increased family income. The tools, knowledge and skills developed through this work are now being utilized for other projects aiming to generate wide-scale adoption of new farming practices, increased beef production and improved farmer welfare in eastern Indonesia.