Rhoda Burrows

Rhoda Burrows is a Professor and SDSU Extension Horticulture Specialist at South Dakota State University (SDSU). She specializes in supporting commercial fruit and vegetable production, focusing on small-scale and beginning growers. Her roles include organizing food safety workshops, securing funding for educational programs, and collaborating with regional and national extension initiatives. She co-coordinates the South Dakota Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program and assists with Native American gardening programs.

Education:

• A.A. in Liberal Arts, Golden Valley Lutheran College, 1979
• B.S. in Horticulture Science, Montana State University, 1983
• M.S. in Horticulture Science, University of Minnesota-St. Paul, 1987
• Ph.D. in Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota-St. Paul, 2001

Research Interests: Sustainable horticultural production, soil-microbe interactions, food safety compliance (FDA Food Safety Modernization Act), and viticulture. She develops educational materials and collaborates with organizations like the South Dakota Specialty Producers Association to enhance grower education and marketability.

Awards:

• John Robertson Memorial Award in Horticulture
• Gamme Sigma Delta Extension Award
• Phi Kappa Phi

Grants & Advising: Overseeing grants totaling millions, including $2.6M for Northern Grapes research and $657K for food sovereignty programs on Native American reservations. Her work emphasizes stakeholder engagement and systems approaches to food safety and agricultural sustainability.

Labs/Teams: Leads SDSU Extension West River Ag Center initiatives and collaborates with the eXtension Grape Community of Practice to disseminate research on viticulture and IPM strategies.