SIKESTON, Mo. (KFVS) – Southeast Missouri State University is joining forces with a tech start-up to help grow the Heartland’s agriculture industry.
St. Louis-based tech company Saluna will use land on SEMO’s Sikeston campus to grow and research hemp.
“What we are looking to do is revitalize hemp as a crop in the United States,” said Michael Gerau, Saluna’s chief technology officer.
Saluna researches hemp, specifically to see if the crop can be used as a source of renewable energy.
Gerau said SEMO’s Sikeston campus is the perfect place to expand that research, “We were exposed to the facility at the Sikeston campus, and it really has everything that we need to be successful. It has a processing facility, office space, and, most importantly, it’s located adjacent to a couple of areas where we can trial new varieties.”
Saluna is renting fields from the university to conduct seed trials. They’ve hired SEMO students to help with the research.
“It brings agriculture, innovation, and agricultural technology advancement right into our backyard,” said SEMO Vice President of Economic and Workforce Development Dan Presson.
Presson said this partnership could open the door for more of its kind, “We’re really hoping that by starting with Saluna and showcasing the agriculture, the rich, incredible agriculture that’s available in southeast Missouri, that maybe we’ll be able to attract some additional attention from other entrepreneurs that are looking for similar soil types or looking for similar setups.”
Hemp is sometimes confused with marijuana, but Gerau wanted people to know there’s a big difference, “It has close to zero intoxicant in it, and so low THC, and the product that we’re focusing on is protein or meal for livestock and oil for fuel. It doesn’t have anything to do with intoxicating substances.”
Gerau said he’s hopeful their research will have lasting, positive effects on the region, “If you look at where most of the hemp was grown in Missouri before prohibition, it was down in the bootheel. And so really, we’re looking to restore what was a good cash crop for growers in the area. And so it’s gonna take a little bit of education, but we’re going to be down there. We’re gonna be part of the community.”
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