Kay Pedretti
Board Candidate
Kay Pedretti
Q: Why would you like to serve on the Bluff Country Co‐op Board of Directors?
A: I love the co-op and want to see it continue to succeed.
Q: What professional, volunteer and/or community experience and skills do you have that may benefit the Board’s and Co‐op’s work?
A: I have been on the Co-op Board of Directors previously and served as President for 2 years. I have also
served on my union Board of Directors and served as Statewide Secretary and various other roles.
Q: What is your experience working cooperatively?
A: I work with teams on everything. Teamwork makes the dream work.
Q: Any other relevant information about your experience and interest in serving on the Co-op Board of Directors?
A: I have also served on church boards and various community volunteer opportunities.
Paul Schmitt
Board Candidate
Paul Schmitt
Q: Why would you like to serve on the Bluff Country Co‐op Board of Directors?
A: I grew up on a hobby beef farm in north-central Minnesota, where I was fortunate enough to gain exposure early in life to the realities of food production both in our breeding of cattle and family vegetable garden. Though I don’t currently farm, I care deeply about food access and equity alongside sustainable food production. By serving on the Bluff Country Co-op Board of Directors, I hope to contribute to the organization’s ongoing work of providing meaningful community through food access and production in our local food system.
Q: What professional, volunteer and/or community experience and skills do you have that may benefit the Board’s and Co‐op’s work?
A: I earned my PhD in English from the University of Iowa in 2025, where my dissertation focused on representations of food systems in literature and media. My project involved researching alternatives to technology- and input-heavy agricultural practices, and how the stories we tell and share about our food systems affect what we think is possible–politically and practically–in the way we produce food. Before moving to Winona in 2021, I worked for the non-profit organization Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development and its subsidiary, Grow: Johnson County, which is an organic hunger-relief farm operating just outside Iowa City. There, I was able to gain hands-on experience with organic produce farming, grant writing, and community outreach efforts. Since 2021, I have also served as a member of the City of Winona Citizens Environmental Quality Committee, collaborating with other members to stay attuned and provide input to officials on local issues of environmental concern.
Q: What is your experience working cooperatively?
A: As an English teacher at Cotter Schools, a committee member of the City of Winona CEQC, and in my time at IVRCD/Grow: Johnson County, cooperation has been the name of the game. Food systems are fundamentally cooperative, and I am eager to lend my experience and expertise in a way that continues the strong legacy of Bluff Country Co-op.
Q: Any other relevant information about your experience and interest in serving on the Co-op Board of Directors?
A: I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to apply and contribute!