CURRICULUM VITAE
Contact Information:
Rhonda R. Janke
Professor Emeritus,Department of Horticulture, Kansas State University
Phone: 785-236-1994, email Parideaza@gmail.com
Website: www.RhondaJanke.art
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rhonda-Janke
Artist’s Statement:
“My art focuses on the intersection of artistic expression, science, food, farming and sustainable agriculture, while also exploring issues of social justice and healing. I feel that much of life is spent remembering what we already know. Art is a pathway to that remembering.
I feel that materials used can be part of the message, and many materials come from my farm; wool from the sheep, paper made of weeds or apples, pigment from walnuts, hedge trees, herbs and soil, and wax from the bees for encaustic. Making the paint and fiber is as important as making the image. I also see nature as a collaborator, not as a resource to be exploited.
In a series of recent projects, working with time and with soil to explore the process of decomposition has revealed a beauty in a process that is often hidden from view. I approach nature, art and science with humility and a willingness to dwell in the unknown.”
Professional Memberships:
Ecoartspace - "Soil Dialogue" member
WEAD - Women Eco-Artists Dialogue - Board member (2024-present)
https://directory.weadartists.org/artist/rrjanke
Education:
September, 2012, MFA-Interdisciplinary Art Goddard College
Port Townsend, Washington campus. Advisers include Sharon Sisken (Berkeley, CA), Laiwan (Vancouver, Canada) and Seitu Jones (Minneapolis, MN). Areas of focus included pre-historic art, community-based art, feminist art, sustainable, green, local and place-based eco-art, farming and art, and life as art. The Goddard College offers a low-residency 5 semester MFA program designed for artists and other fully employed professionals. Students come from both the U.S. and Canada for a 10-day intensive residency each semester followed by supervised work with an advisor.
1987 Ph.D, 1984 M.S. Cornell University
Research areas included crops, soils, ecology, and ruminant nutrition. Dissertation title: “Weed Management in Established Alfalfa Based on Cultural Control of Crop-Weed Interactions,” Ithaca, N.Y. 197 pp.
1980 B.S. Kansas State University
Major Agronomy, included classes in crops and soils. Electives included women’s studies, and several undergraduate drawing, design, and art history courses.
Professional Experience:
2024-present Retired/Professor Emeritus, Kansas State University
2015 – 2024 Associate Professor, Dept. of Crop Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
2014 Sabbatical leave to Hashemite University, Jordan, taught organic and sustainable agriculture.
1999 – 2014 Associate Professor/Professor and Extension Specialist, Dept. of Horticulture, affiliated faculty member Womens'
Studies program, Kansas State University
1994 - 1999 Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Dept. of Agronomy, Kansas State University.
1992-1994 Director of Research, Rodale Institute
1986-1992 Agronomy Section Leader, Rodale Institute, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Pennsylvania State University
1980-1986 Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant, Dept. of Agronomy, Cornell University.
Farming Experience:
Owner and manager, Parideaza Organic Farm, Wamego, KS. From 1994 to 2015 (fruits, vegetables, sheep, poultry)
Raised on wheat and dairy farm near Chapman, Kansas, active participant in crop and livestock management
Activities related to art practice:
Education & Training:
Fall 2023; “Introduction to ‘Citizen Artist’ and Art-Based Research Methods,” Instructor: Lee Ann Woolery (on-line for 6 weeks)
Spring 2021; “The Personal is Political-Art and Social Justice,” Instructor- Sarah Farahat, offered on-line from Portland Community College Continuing Education
2010-2012– Masters in Interdisciplinary Art, Goddard College, Port Townsend, WA. Thesis title “Articulture – Unified FIELD Theory and Parideaza Farm: Sustainability at the Intersection of Art and Agriculture.”
2008-2010 Studio training in water-based media and color theory, Judy Love, professor emeritus, Kansas State University Art Dept.
1976-1980– undergraduate art classes in drawing I and II, design, art history
Presentation, Exhibits and Installations:
May 19-21, 2024, Co-convener of the session “Soil Health from Multiple Perspectives,” under the Soil and humanity – Transdisplinarity in Soil Sciences Division, with 8 speakers and 2 posters. Also presentation in Florence, Italy 2024, “A brief history of the ‘buried cotton cloth assay’ use in science and art and current comparisons of diverse sites using metagenomic indicators.” International Union of Soil Scientists, Florence, Italy.
May 22-23, 2024. Pop-up exhibit at Il Conventino, Florence, Italy with ecoartspace collaborators. Title: “Dialoghi del Suolo/Soil Dialogues.”
December 2022. Digital art included in "Earthkeepers Handbook." https://ecoartspace.org/Sys/Store/Products/333903
June 11-14, 2014 in New York, NY at Pace University, 6th Annual AESS Conference, Theme: Welcome to the Anthropocene. Association for Environmental Studies and Science. “Sustainable Articulture – Two examples of integration of art and agriculture,” Poster Presentation with May Elfar Altamimi and Carolyn D. Tanner, Kansas State University.
Aug. 17-October 6, 2013 – “Collaboration with Soil,” 5.4.7 Arts Center, Greensburg, KS (solo exhibition) Included painting with soil workshop and public lecture, “Art and Agriculture,” Sept. 21, 2013.
Sept. 1- Oct. 1, 2013 - Site-Specific Installation - "The Soil Remembers," Fort Worden State Park - Port Townsend, WA with collaborators Deanna Pindell and Dawn Sagar. See: https://www.deannapindell.net/the-soil-remembers
April 26, 2013 – Spring Art Walk – Hays, Kansas. “Collaboration with Soil” (solo exhibition), Gella’s Café. (included two lectures on art and agriculture, “Science Café” on April 25 and Fort Hays State Faculty seminar April 26, 2013).
May, 2012, Prescott AZ. “Sustainability at the Intersection of Art and Agriculture.” Presentation at the Prescott University Sustainability Symposium,
September, 2012, Port Townsend, WA, – Graduation seminar and exhibition, Goddard College. Thesis title “Articulture – Unified FIELD Theory and Parideaza Farm: Sustainability at the Intersection of Art and Agriculture.”
Denver, Colorado, November, 2010. “Exploring Interdisciplinary Environmental/Place-based Art and Community Art from a Feminist Perspective” (Poster) Abstract published in proceedings. National Women’s Studies Conference Poster.
Workshops Conducted/taught:
"Using Natural and Local Materials" - three-part lecture/workshop & field trip for Art 301/610 figure drawing/composition intersession course at Kansas State University, May, 2013 and 2012.
Lectures included making charcoal as bio-char, how to make paint from soil (gouache) and making ink/paint from plant materials. Several local soils were collected on a field trip with the students. Plant material (hedge tree, walnut and madder root) were brought in from my farm. Students actually made their own paint and then used the materials as a resource for their drawings over the course of the 3-week intersession.
“Painting with Soil” – Beach Art Museum Open House for the Meadow Project – May, 2013
Taught soil painting methods to kids and families in open-house resource table setting.
“Art as a FELT experience,” – for Goddard students and faculty, March, 2012
Workshop explored the rich history of felt making, then each participant took some raw wool, hand cleaned/carded the wool, and then made a piece of felt using the wet/soap method. Needle felting was also demonstrated and students had access to the equipment after the class to embellish their wet-felted pieces later. Wool was a combined pool from my sheep in Kansas and a local flock in the Port Townsend, WA area.
“Climate Change: Art That Can Change the World (or Can It?)” – for Goddard students and faculty, August, 2011
Referenced recent show and book in Boulder, Colorado, “Weather Report: Art and Climate Change (2007)” and the on-going project “Cape Farwell” (www.capefarewell.com) as well as other examples of eco-art addressing climate change and carbon issues. Discussed the possible power of art to change the world and also the limitations.
“Life as Art and Art as Life: A Discussion” – for Goddard students and faculty, August, 2011
This workshop discussed three readings; Suzanne Lacy’s book “Mapping the Terrain” (1995), Allan Kaprow’s article “The Real Experiment” (1983), and John Dewey’s book “Art as Experience” (1934). Parallels were discussed in all three readings, as well as how the ideas inspired, and were passed down from teacher to student among these three individuals.
“How to Make Paint” – for Goddard students and faculty, March, 2011
Covered the basics of pigment, carrier, and surface, and safety of materials now available for each of these components of a painting. Discussed how to make pastel sticks, water-based paint, oil paint, and demonstrated making gouache with local materials such as soil as well as purchased earth pigments.
CURRICULUM VITAE related to Agriculture
Selected Professional Activities, 2000 onward
-- OCIA (Organic Crop Improvement Association) International Research and Education committee, 2012-2015.
- USDA/SARE Administrative Council (elected to 3-yr term),2008-2011
- Technical Review Panel Member, Agriculture and Endangered Species grants program, State of California 2006
- Invited Participant in USDA "Advancing Science for Sustainability Experts Workshop," Washington DC, March 8-10. 2004
- USDA/ARS - Office of Scientific Quality Review - Peer Review of ARS Project Plans. June 23-24, 2003.
- USDA/CSREES Review Panel for the Organic Transitions Grant Program, Washington, D.C, June 18-19, 2003.
- USDA/CSREES Review Panel, Organic Transitions Grants Program, Washington, D.C. May 15-17, 2002.
- CSRS Review Team for the Department of Plant, Soil and Environmental Sciences at the University of Maine, March 12-16, 2001.
- Editorial Board, Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, 1998 - present
- Board of Directors, The Land Institute, Salina, KS, 1995-2003
- Board of Directors, The Kaw Valley Heritage Alliance,1996-2004
Teaching Activities
At SQU in Oman: Vegetable Crops, Plant Propagation, Fruit Crops and Organic Agriculture undergraduate level,
Sustainable Agriculture at the post-graduate level. Also organic farming training for Ministry employees.
At KSU in USA: Developed new course - " Sustainable Agriculture" and "Organic Farming Systems,"
Also taught Vegetable Production, Fruit production, Urban Agriculture and “Horticulture in Hort Therapy” as an online course
Extension Fact Sheets and Handbooks (recent/selected)
MF 2683. Citizen Science – soil and water testing for environmental stewardship (a set of 24 fact sheets and illustrated folder. 2005. and website www.oznet.ksu.edu/kswater
MF-2579. Home Grown Herbs for Home Use. by R. Janke, 2003. 7 pp.
S-144. Farming a Few Acres of Herbs - Notebook. Co-Authors R. Janke, J. DeArmond and D. Coltrain. Approx. 80 pp. 2003 plus 30 individual fact sheets for specific herb species.
S-138. The River Friendly Farm Environmental Assessment Tool - Revised Version (130 pages). R. Janke and D. Nagengast, co-authors. 2002. and website www.oznet.ksu.edu/rff
Food-A-Syst Farmer’s Manual: 1) Production of Fruits and Vegetables 2) Home-raised, Home Butchered poultry and Eggs, Gast, K, D. Nagengast and R. Janke, authors. 2001.
MF-2403 Whole Farm Planning. Fact Sheet. R. Janke. August 2000
Refereed journal articles (recent/selected; see ResearchGate for updated list)
Janke, Rhonda & Menezes-Blackburn, Daniel & Khan, Mumtaz & Busaidi, Ahmed & Al-Busaidi, Waleed & Al Hinai, Ali & Ahmed, Mushtaque. (2022). A 25 Year History of the use of Organic Soil Amendments in Oman: A review. 27. 41-49. 10.53541/jams.vol27iss1pp41-49.
Al-Busaidi, Waleed & Janke, Rhonda & Menezes-Blackburn, Daniel & Khan, Mumtaz. (2021). Impact of long-term agricultural farming on soil and water chemical properties: A case study from Al-Batinah regions (Oman). Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences. 10.1016/j.jssas.2021.11.002.
Khan, Mumtaz & Akram, Muhammad & Janke, Rhonda & Waseem, Rashad & Qadri, Khan & Al-Sadi, Abdullah & Farooque, Aitazaz. (2020). Urban Horticulture for Food Secure Cities through and beyond COVID-19. Sustainability. DOI: 10.3390/sy1222952
Al-Daghari, D.S.S., Al-Sadi, A.M., Janke, R., Al-Mahmooli, I.H. and Velazhahan, R. 2020. Potential of indigenous antagonistic rhizobacteria in the biological control of Monosporascus root rot and vine decline disease of muskmelon. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B – Soil & Plant Science 70: 371-380.
Khan, M., and R. Janke. 2019. Family Farming for Sustainable Livelihood -Food Doesn't Come from a Grocery Store. ACTA SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE (ISSN: 2581-365X)
Khan, M., Al Busaidi, W., Janke, R., Al Kindi, I. 2018. Use of Soil amendments in sustainable organic farming systems. Bioscience Research. 15(4) 4129-4135.
Al Busaidi, W., Khan, M., Janke, R. Al-Sheriqi, M., Al Yahyai, 2020. Efficacy of soil amendments in organic farming systems. Agrociencia 54(1):1-31
Janke, R.R., M.E. Altamimi and M. Khan. 2017. The use of high tunnels to produce fruit and vegetable crops in North America. Agricultural Sciences 8:692-715.
Masterson, S.A., M.M. Kennelly, R.R. Janke and C.L. Rivard. 2016. Microclimate and scion leaf removal to improve the success of grafted tomato seedlings. HortTechnology 26(3):1-9.
Muhammad Fakhar-ud-Din Razi, Rhonda Janke, Muhammad Mumtaz Khan and Ammara Jawad 2016. Innovative Production Technologies . In: The Lime: Botany: Production and Uses. (Eds.) Mumtaz Khan, Rashid Al-Yahyai and Fahad Al-Said, CABI, UK.
Altamimi,, M.E., R.R. Janke, K.A. Williams, N.O. Nelson , and L.W. Murray. 2013. Nitrate-Nitrogen Sufficiency Ranges in Leaf
Petiole Sap of Pac Choi Grown with Organic and Conventional Fertilizers. Hort Science 48(3): 357-368.
Knewtson, S.J.B, R.R. Janke, L. Murray, M. B. Kirkham, and E.E. Carey. 2012. Soil Quality After Eight Years Under High Tunnels.
HortScience. 47:1630-1633.
Knewtson, S.J.B., R. Janke, M.B. Kirkham, K.A. Williams and E.E. Carey. 2010. Trends in soil quality under high tunnels. HortScience
45:1534-1538.
Peterson, Hikaru Hanawa, Theresa Selfa and Rhonda Janke, 2010. “Barriers and Opportunities for Sustainable Food Systems in
Northeastern Kansas” "Renewable Agriculture" 2(1):2
Nelson, Nathan O. and Rhonda R. Janke, 2007. Phosphorus Sources and Management in Organic Production Systems.
HortTechnology, 17:442-454 (Oct-Dec.)
Gonzalez, A.D., R. Janke and E.H. Rapoport. 2003. ‘Nutritional Value of Edible Weeds’ (Valor Nutricional de las Malezas
Comestibles). Ciencia Hoy, vol. 13:44-47
Janke, R.R., M.M. Claassen, W.F. Heer, J. Jost, S. Freyenberger and D. Norman. 2002. The Use of Winter Annual Legume Cover Crops
in a Wheat-Grain Sorghum Rotation in South Central Kansas. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture. Vol 20:69-88
Peer-reviewed Book Chapters (recent/selected)
Al-Yahyai, Rashid, Al Hashmi, Khalid, Janke, Rhonda 2023. Agroecological Practices on Traditional Date Farms
DOI: 10.1079/9781800620209.0012, In book: Date Palm, CABI
Muhammad Fakhar-ud-Din Razi, Rhonda Janke, Muhammad Mumtaz Khan and Ammara Jawad 2016. “Innovative Production
Technologies, “. In: The Lime: Botany: Production and Uses. (Eds.) Mumtaz Khan, Rashid Al-Yahyai and Fahad Al-Said, CABI, UK.
Carroll, Valerie and Rhonda Janke, 2013. “Sustainable Universities: Rhetoric versus Facts,” in Environmental Policy is Social Policy –
Social Policy is Environmental Policy,” Edited by Isidor Walliman, Springer Press.
Peterson, H.H. and R.R. Janke. 2009. Organic Marketing In Organic Farming: The Ecological System, C. Francis, Ed. Agronomy
Monograph 54. ASA, Madison, WI
Janke, Rhonda R. 2008. Social Change – Sustainable Agriculture – Sustainable Consumers In Moving Thought to Action, Torry
Dickinson and Terry Bercerra (Eds.), Paradigm Press
Janke, Rhonda R., 2005. Whole Farm Planning and Implementing Sustainable Agriculture (Chapter 5) In A New Social Contract:
Developing and Extending a Sustainable Agriculture, Charles A. Francis, Ray Poincelot, and George Bird (Eds.), The Haworth Press,
Inc, Binghamton, NY
Janke, R. 2004. Whole Farm Planning and Analysis (Chapter 5), In Agroecosystems Analysis, Dianne H. Rickerl and
Charles A. Francis (Eds.), American Society of Agronomy
Janke, R. 2002. Composing a Landscape (Chapter 12) In The Farm as a Natural Habitat, Dana L. Jackson and
Laura L. Jackson (Eds.), Publisher Island Press
Book Published: “Farming in the Dark – A Discussion about the Future of Sustainable Agricutlure.” 2008. University Readers Press, San Diego, CA. 307 pp. This book includes interviews with 20 sustainable and organic farmers and gardeners conducted in 2005, while I was on sabbatical. My intention was to provide a resource for students of sustainable agriculture to understand the history of this movement, and where those that are a part of this movement would like to see it go in the next 25 years
