HealthBarn’s Mission: Empowering Families to Live Strong, Energetic Lives!
April 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of HealthBarn USA — and we’re celebrating in a big way!
Our founder, Stacey Antine, MS, RDN, began her career in corporate PR representing major food brands while attending NYU at night to earn her master’s in food, nutrition, and dietetics. One day in class, a professor shared a startling statistic: “This may be the first generation that doesn’t outlive their parents, due to lifestyle-related health issues.” That one comment changed the course of Stacey’s life — and inspired the creation of HealthBarn.
HealthBarn officially opened its doors in April 2005 at Abma’s Farm in Wyckoff, NJ, with one program: the Young Harvesters for kids ages 8–12. Ten years later, we moved to the beautiful Irene Habernickel Family Park in Ridgewood, expanding our mission to reach all age groups. From birthday parties and adult culinary classes to senior cooking programs, HealthBarn has become a joyful, hands-on learning hub for healthy living. In partnership with the Village of Ridgewood for the past decade, we look forward to many more years of community-driven impact.
So, what’s the recipe for HealthBarn’s success?
We’ve stayed true to our mission, grown with the families we serve, and created a supportive community rooted in education, wellness, and fun. As Stacey says, “Every relationship — and every first bite of broccoli — is something to celebrate!”
To kick off our 20th year, we hosted a community celebration on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The day began with a healthy breakfast and the planting of a Community Fruit & Nut Tree Orchard by more than 100 guests at our home in Irene Habernickel Family Park. Mayor Paul Vagianos opened the festivities by honoring HealthBarn’s lasting contributions to Ridgewood. Bergen County Commissioner Tracy Zur highlighted our work through the HealthBarn Foundation and Healing Meals to combat food insecurity, and Stacey spoke about the importance of relationships and the memories we’ve built — with many more to come.
The Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in honor of our 10th anniversary at the park. Then, we gathered at the community garden to hear Councilwoman Siobhan Winograd share the rich history of the park. With the help of fruit and nut tree expert Peter Namju, we planted 10 trees to mark our decade in Ridgewood. This public orchard is open for all — and future workshops will teach community members how to plant edible trees at home or in their neighborhoods.
It was truly the feel-good event of the year — with supporters of all ages coming together to celebrate healthy living!
The celebration culminated at the April 9 Village Council meeting, where Stacey and the HealthBarn team were honored with an official Proclamation from the Village of Ridgewood — recognizing our impact and declaring May 9, 2025, as Stacey Antine and HealthBarn Day!
A heartfelt thank you to every person who’s tried a new fruit or veggie, every student who sipped a Rainbow Swirley Smoothie, and everyone cooking HealthBarn recipes at home — this celebration is for YOU!
