HEAL Food Alliance

2025 School of Political Leadership 

Salt City Food Future

Renee Marcoux

(she/her)

Equity, Inclusion, and Engagement Manager, Salt City Food Future

I think HEAL’s SoPL is critical now because it equips grassroots leaders with the tools, strategies, and networks to challenge oppression and build collective power. For BIPOC farmers in Central New York, land access is not just an economic issue but a matter of racial justice, environmental stewardship, and community resilience. Through SoPL, I hope to amplify the voices of intentionally excluded communities and learn how to create actionable strategies for equitable policy campaigns alongside others who are equally committed to uplifting movements for justice.

Meet Renee

Born in South Korea and raised in Central NY, Renee recently returned to her roots in Syracuse, NY after living in Denver, CO for 17 years. She is a connector of people and ideas, a storyteller, and an advocate who supports community initiatives, dismantles barriers, and fosters partnerships to create a more equitable and just food system. After graduating from Boston University, Renee honed her relationship-building skills as an Early Head Start teacher before a monumental career pivot into agriculture. An urban vegetable farmer for 10 years, Renee oversaw the production and distribution of thousands of pounds of fresh produce to combat food apartheid. She designed and implemented a paid urban farming apprenticeship as a space for new BIPOC and LGTBQ+ farmers, organized large community events, and guided her team to weather the pandemic while maintaining the farm as a vital food source in the city. Renee is committed to living a life that prioritizes people and the planet. She lives in a multigenerational house and her favorite vegetable is whatever is in season.