Join CCOF & panelists at SXSW this March 9, 2025, for our panel “Seeding Change: The Future of Organic Food & Agriculture.”
CCOF’s CEO Kelly Damewood will be joined by Andrea Abel, Executive Director of Farmshare Austin. Farmshare Austin is a non-profit organization that operates a 13-acre certified organic farm in Eastern Travis County, focused on beginning farmer training and community food access. Since 2017, Andrea has served as an appointee to the Austin Travis County Food Policy Board, where she has been deeply involved in developing the first inclusive and comprehensive city-county food plan. Prior to Farmshare, Andrea held positions in state and national non-profits and Texas government, focusing on cooperation and building sustainable communities. She earned her BA in Spanish Literature from Carleton College and a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School at the University of Texas, where her professional report explored “The Definition and Regulation of Organic Foods.”
Andrea implemented the Farm Worker Texas Right to Know program, the first state program requiring farm operators to provide workers with specific information about chemicals they may be exposed to. For nearly a decade, she worked as a freelance journalist covering food, agriculture, travel and wildlife. As an Austinite since the late 1980s, Andrea has witnessed firsthand the challenges and opportunities presented by the city’s tremendous growth.
See you in Texas!
