Key Takeaways
- St. Louis-based agtech startup Saluna establishes field research hub at SEMO’s Sikeston campus.
- The partnership will support hemp seed trials, student workforce development, and regional innovation.
- Saluna will lease university land and facilities while employing SEMO students for hands-on research.
- The collaboration highlights the university’s role in fostering agri-entrepreneurship in southeast Missouri.
- Saluna’s expansion underscores hemp’s potential as a sustainable and competitive crop in the Mid-South.
Saluna Selects SEMO Sikeston Campus as Research Base for Hemp Innovation
Saluna, a St. Louis-based agricultural technology startup specializing in hemp, has chosen Southeast Missouri State University’s Sikeston campus as the site of its first major expansion. The partnership brings together academic and commercial interests to advance sustainable crop alternatives and foster economic development in one of Missouri’s most productive farming regions.
As part of the collaboration, Saluna will lease land and facilities from the university to conduct hemp seed trials and scale its research activities. The company will also train and employ SEMO students to support its projects, integrating education with applied agricultural technology.
Advancing Agriculture Through Innovation and Partnership
University President Dr. Carlos Vargas welcomed the new partnership: “We are excited to welcome Saluna to the Sikeston campus. This partnership is a perfect example of how SEMO is fostering new business opportunities and creating pathways for innovation in agriculture.”
Matt Plummer, CEO of Saluna, noted the strategic importance of the region: “The idea for Saluna was born in southern Missouri. The SEMO-Sikeston campus offers an unrivaled combination of access to land, facilities, student talent, and farmers.”
The collaboration builds on a prior relationship that began in 2023, when Saluna hired a SEMO student intern. The success of that engagement prompted the startup to deepen its ties to the region—leading to the hiring of three more students and the decision to anchor its research in Sikeston.
SEMO as a Catalyst for Regional AgTech Growth
Dan Presson, SEMO’s assistant vice president of economic and workforce development, emphasized the university’s role in driving innovation. “This is exactly the kind of innovative partnership we want to attract to our regional campuses. With this partnership with Saluna we’re creating space for new technologies, new ideas and new opportunities that will benefit our students, our economy and our agricultural communities.”
The partnership illustrates SEMO’s broader mission to connect rural resources with urban innovation. By providing infrastructure and talent, the university is playing a direct role in regional economic development and workforce training in the agri-tech sector.
Building a Sustainable Future with Hemp
Dr. Mike Gerau, Saluna’s chief technology officer and adjunct professor at SEMO, underscored the strategic nature of the collaboration. “This partnership puts us in the heart of our target geography where we can grow and foster the entrepreneurial spirit of farmers across the Mid-South.”
As hemp gains momentum as a viable crop for U.S. farmers, Saluna’s work at SEMO will provide important data and operational experience to help validate its commercial value. The startup’s expansion signals both a commitment to sustainable agriculture and a model for how academic partnerships can stimulate regional innovation.
The collaboration between Saluna and SEMO is expected to evolve further in the coming years as both parties deepen their efforts to support Missouri’s next generation of farmers, agronomists, and agricultural entrepreneurs.
