Gary Smith, CEO of the Chester County Economic Development Council (CCEDC), has been reelected to serve a third, three-year term on the board of the National Council of State Agricultural Financing Programs (NCOSAFP), representing Pennsylvania on the 7-member board of directors.
NCOSAFP advocates for state agricultural financing programs at the national level, shaping federal policy and legislation that ensures farmers and rural businesses have access to critical capital.
“I am bringing best practices from my colleagues at NCOSAFP back to Pennsylvania leadership because we need to do more to help production agriculture,” said Smith. “This is a united group of like-minded people who support each other and willingly share information. We’re all passionate about helping producers of agriculture in our country become more competitive because economic development is also agricultural economic development.”
Smith, who grew up on a dairy farm in West Bradford and currently operates a cattle breeding operation, has been involved with NCOSAFP for more than 20 years to help identify and bring innovative agricultural financing strategies back to Pennsylvania.
In the Commonwealth, farmlands create more than $10.1 billion in revenue annually, with most farms being family-owned small businesses. Chester County’s market value of $736 million makes it the second-largest agricultural producer of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania.
Through Chester County’s AgConnect initiative, Smith and his CCEDC colleagues have developed an economic development strategy for agriculture that includes technology assistance, workforce development, and youth education about agricultural careers. AgConnect links farmers and agricultural business owners with the business resources, training, and financing they need to grow their business within Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Learn more about Gary Smith being reelected to the NCOSAFP board at Chester County Economic Development Council.
