Garden of Health
The only food bank in our region built for people with food allergies. 1.75 million meals in 2024. One paid employee. The rest, volunteers and a 7.5-acre farm.
THE STORY
One Mom. One Daughter. One Question Nobody Was Asking.
Carol Bauer is a Montgomery County mom of four. For years she watched her daughter struggle with undiagnosed celiac disease. Once they finally figured out what was wrong, the family started volunteering at a food pantry in Souderton.
That is when she noticed something nobody was talking about. Every food pantry shelf was full of food her own daughter could not eat. Pasta, bread, peanut butter, processed cereal, the standard food bank staples are mostly gluten and allergen heavy.
So she asked the question:
"What do food-insecure people do when they have food allergies?"
The answer in 2014 was nothing. Nobody was running a food bank for them. So in 2015 Carol built one.
Eleven years later it serves over 70 hunger-relief agencies in Montgomery County, distributed 1.75 million meals in 2024, and operates a 7.5-acre farm in Hatfield. Her tagline says it cleaner than any nonprofit white paper could:
"Your wealth shouldn't dictate your health."
, Carol Bauer, Founder
The Math Of This Particular Mission
Numbers that should not be possible from one paid employee.
1.75M
Meals distributed in 2024
300%
Growth from 2023 to 2024
70+
Pantry partners in Montco
7.5
Acre farm in Hatfield
π₯
102,000 food-insecure neighbors
Estimated number of food-insecure people in Garden of Health's Montco and Bucks service area.
π₯
32 million Americans have food allergies
A national crisis the typical food bank shelf was never designed to address.
Why "Allergen-Friendly" Is The Whole Point
A typical food bank does heroic work. But the typical food bank shelf is built around shelf-stable, calorie-dense, allergen-heavy items. Pasta, peanut butter, processed cereal, bread.
If you have celiac disease, a peanut allergy, lactose intolerance, or any of the other top eight allergen sensitivities, half of that shelf is poison to you. You walk in hungry, you walk out hungry, you walk home hungry.
Garden of Health is the answer to that. Fresh produce. Allergen-friendly proteins. Customized deliveries based on the demographics each pantry actually serves. Diabetic-friendly to one shelter. Nut-free to a school program. Real food, designed for real bodies.
The Top Eight Allergens
- π₯ Milk
- π₯ Eggs
- π Fish
- π¦ Shellfish
- π³ Tree nuts
- π₯ Peanuts
- πΎ Wheat
- π« Soy
Garden of Health builds their distribution around avoiding these. Microgreens are naturally free of all eight, which is why we are a natural match.
Allergen-Free Microgreens. Doubled.
Microgreens are naturally free of the top eight allergens, which makes them one of the rare fresh foods Garden of Health can confidently push to every single one of their 70+ pantry partners.
1.
You Choose
$20 microgreens, Garden of Health as recipient at checkout.
2.
We Match
$20 from us, $40 of fresh allergen-free greens.
3.
They Distribute
Out to the 70+ pantries that need fresh produce most.
Cash works fastest direct.
With one paid employee and an entirely volunteer-run distribution model, Garden of Health turns donations into meals at a rate most charities cannot match. Send your dollar straight to them.
Donate Direct at gardenofhealthinc.org β501(c)(3), EIN 47-2838482, tax-deductible.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Garden of Health different from a regular food bank?
A typical food bank distributes whatever food gets donated, which is usually heavy on gluten, dairy, peanuts, soy, and processed staples. Garden of Health curates allergen-friendly distributions specifically for people with celiac, dairy intolerance, nut allergies, and dietary restrictions who get turned away from typical pantries.
Where does the food come from?
Three sources. Their own 7.5-acre farm in Hatfield, run by their single paid employee plus volunteers. Local farm donations and gleanings from regional growers. And matched-donation programs like the one running between Garden of Health and microGREEN FX.
Why are microgreens such a good fit?
Microgreens are naturally free of the top eight allergens. They are nutrient-dense at concentrations 10 to 100 times mature vegetables. And they have a 14-day refrigerated shelf life, which gives Garden of Health time to route them through their pantry network without spoilage. It is one of the few fresh foods that fits all three criteria.
Can I volunteer?
Yes. Garden of Health is built on volunteers. Visit gardenofhealthinc.org/volunteer to sign up. The Hatfield farm needs hands during the growing season, the warehouse needs hands year-round, and pantry deliveries need drivers.
Is this organization local?
Yes. Born and based in Montgomery County. Distributes throughout Montco and Bucks. Your donation stays in the region.