Cecile Parrish

Urban Agriculture and Research Coordinator

Cecile Parrish serves as the Urban Agriculture and Research Coordinator for Eco Centro, a center for environmental and community sustainability located at San Antonio College. In this position, she oversees several agricultural and sustainability initiatives. Ms. Parrish manages an aggressive effort to design and install campus native and habitat-supporting landscaping and food production, with an ultimate goal to transform 75% of the campus’ landscape to low water use, urban pollinator habitat and food-producing gardens. She is responsible for a half-acre market garden, research plots and permaculture projects used for regional crop research and demonstration. Ms. Parrish was also responsible for the planning, development and implementation of a four-acre educational urban farm in partnership with the San Antonio Housing Authority. Garcia Street Urban Farm is the city’s 2nd largest farm and is rapidly becoming known as a critical outdoor, urban and regenerative farming educational center.

Cecile was born and raised in San Antonio and cites her family’s gardens and mother’s environmental advocacy as her inspiration for the decision to pursue a career in urban regenerative growing. She studied environmental science and sustainable agriculture at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina where she also became a Certified Master Beekeeper in 2013. Her career has carried her to farms and apiaries across the country, from working on transforming a commercial cow-calf operation to regenerative grazing methods to bio-intensive vegetable and flowering farming. In the last five years, Cecile has focused her skills on building farm education programs in urban San Antonio. Cecile believes that in building strong food and agriculture networks and strengthening the community ties to these connections, we can build a more socially just and food secure future for everyone.