About Us: The Fishes & Loaves Food Alliance

The Fishes & Loaves Food Alliance is a nonprofit initiative proudly working in partnership with the Winchester Farm Exchange to nourish our Canal Winchester community in both body and spirit.

Our mission at Fishes & Loaves Market Garden is to grow and donate 100% of the organic produce cultivated in our market-style school garden to families within the Canal Winchester School District who are facing food insecurity. In doing so, we create a vibrant learning environment for students, foster community engagement, and model sustainable, local food production.

Our Focus Areas

  1. Increasing Food Access
    We fundraise to provide grocery gift cards that enable families in need to shop at the Winchester Farm Exchange Market and utilize the Fast Service Café, improving access to fresh, nutritious, locally sourced food.

  2. Education & Community Connection Through Gardening
    We cultivate a community garden that serves as a tool for education and connection. Through this space, we teach students and families about the importance of healthy eating and the long-term impact of nutrition on well-being.

Meet the Team

  • Bethany Ferguson

    GARDEN COORDINATOR

    It all begins with an idea. Bethany brings those ideas to life. As a Certified Master Gardener for Franklin County, Bethany thrives when she is outdoors and surrounded by the abundant green of a growing garden. As the mother of 3, she values and instills the lessons of the garden to her own family and is looking forward to meeting our community and inspiring them to grow good food, eat well, and find peace in the garden.

  • Lauren Preston

    PROGRAM MANAGER AND EDUCATOR

    Lauren comes to us with experience working with OSU Extension Farm to School as well as the Growing to Green Educator at Franklin Park Conservatory. She holds a BS in Agriculture with a focus in Extension Education / Community Leadership and Human Nutrition. She is passionate about educating others on healthy living and eating and loves making her toddler daughter and husband fresh foods from the garden.

  • Trish Preston & Chelsie Casagrande Smith

    FOUNDERS

    This is non-profit has been a dream of Trish’s for 10 years. Alongside with Chelsie, this duo created the Winchester Farm Exchange market and knew that this dream for the Fishes & Loaves Food Alliance needed to finally come to life. It is our greatest desire to feed our community good foods, foster healthier living choices, and promote good mental and physical well-being. Food is medicine and connections to one another brings all of that to life.

  • Grow

    We want to ensure that every family, especially those most in need, has access to healthy, fresh produce.

    The garden will serve as a shared space for neighbors, school district families, and volunteers to come together, tend the soil, and harvest the bounty of what we’ve sown.

  • Serve

    At the heart of everything we do at the Fishes and Loaves Food Alliance is a deep commitment to serving our community—and this commitment goes far beyond just providing food. We believe that true service is about creating pathways to better health outcomes for every individual, family, and neighbor we support.

  • Educate

    It will become a vibrant, educational hub where children and parents can learn about gardening, nutrition, and the importance of local food systems.

    We believe that education is key to creating lasting change. Together as neighbors we will learn how to grow food, make healthier meal choices, and build sustainable food practices.