Heartland Chia in Franklin, Kentucky is the Only Chia Seed Farm in the US

So I like to think of myself as a fairly trendy person. Let me explain. I usually keep up with, or I'm aware of the latest trends like Barbiecore, TikTok dances and stunts, those gargantuan water bottles, and fashions, though I am more than likely to have a lack of fashion sense. Hey, I just started wearing skinny jeans in the past year.

As far as food trends go, I lean mostly on restaurant culture as in a new, different menu item or I really love a dessert trend. Did you know dessert boards are now in? Think of the charcuterie trend but with cake, cookies, etc. Over the years, certain health foods have been trendy and one of the most recent is chia seeds.

What is a chia seed you ask? They are very small and they were a staple of ancient Aztec and Mayan diets, and their health benefits have been touted for centuries, yes, not just in the past couple of years. I know chia seeds from either a breakfast bowl with fruit or chia seed pudding. They are packed with fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and various micronutrients. It's also a superfood.

Get our free mobile app

I was recently on Reddit, and I noticed a post from a Kentucky page I follow that was titled "Oddly enough the only chia seed farm in the US is in Franklin off I-65 by the casino sign. Heartland Chia is the brand". The farm was founded in 2012.

It took me a couple of minutes to wrap my head around this. These tiny nutritious seeds are being farmed just about 20 miles past Bowling Green.

Here's some footage and information about Heartland Chia in a clip from KET's Kentucky Life:

I didn't realize how many foods and beverages you can add chia to. Chia seeds are also a pollinator crop that benefits the environment, and as you can see, the plants themselves are attractive to butterflies and bees.