Joe Robustelli, Director of Food Access
He/Him
916-839-7168
Joe joined Alchemist in 2021 with over 25 years of nonprofit experience with the YMCA and several animal welfare organizations where he was responsible for bringing programs to underserved communities. He is also the owner/founder of a small urban nursery in downtown. Joe served as Alchemist’s Neighborhood Empowerment Program Manager through 2024. As the new Director of Food Access, Joe oversees and assists our food access programs including farmers’ market operations, CalFresh access at farmers’ markets, Community Food Connections, community gardens, and more. Outside of work he enjoys gardening, volunteering for Front Street Animal Shelter, and watching sports.
Food Access is a broad term related to the ability of individuals and households in a community to provide themselves with enough nutritious food without compromising other basic needs. The USDA notes that food access is impacted by “travel time to shopping, availability of healthy foods, and food prices. Some people and places, especially those with low income, may face greater barriers in accessing healthy and affordable food retailers, which may negatively affect diet and food security.”
Alchemist CDC’s Food Access work promotes healthy food access by operating farmers’ markets, facilitating the use of CalFresh/EBT benefits at farmers’ markets, providing the Market Match nutrition incentive at local farmers’ markets and farm stands, distributing free groceries to the most vulnerable student households in the Sacramento City Unified School District, and managing community gardens.