The paper aims at identifying benefits of cooperation between farmers/entrepreneurs (that apart from running an agricultural holding, also carry out some non-agricultural activity) and the institutional environment, as well as barriers thereto, taking into account the level of intensity of relationships between these entities. The former most commonly cover financial benefits (e.g. in the form of support from the European Union), increase in the income from the performed economic activity, launching non-agricultural activity and improvement in the use of resources available in the agricultural holding. As regards barriers, farmers most commonly name: no experience in cooperation with institutions, difficult access to institutions, poor information on the offer of the institution, as well as absence of incentives following from cooperation. The analysis shows that intensity of relationships between these entities is a significant factor when it comes to cooperation, to a large extent it determines its result and, thereby, the degree of implementing socio-economic objectives of both parties.