Kentucky farmer declines $26M data center deal for land
▼ Summary
– Ida Huddleston’s family declined a $26 million offer from an AI company to sell part of their Kentucky farm for a data center.
– The family refused because they oppose having a data center built on or near their 1,200 acres of farmland.
– Huddleston expressed concerns about farmland and water disappearing, referencing reported water shortages and ground poisoning near data centers.
– She believes the data center is a scam that will not bring promised jobs or economic growth to the area.
– The unnamed company has revised its plans and filed a zoning request for over 2,000 acres, potentially building next to the farm.
A Kentucky family has chosen the legacy of their farm over a multimillion-dollar offer from a technology firm. Ida Huddleston, 82, and her relatives declined a $26 million proposal from a major artificial intelligence company seeking land for a data center. The family owns roughly 1,200 acres near Maysville and has no intention of selling any portion for industrial development.
Huddleston expressed a firm commitment to preserving agricultural land, a sentiment rooted in concerns about resource depletion and environmental impact. She referenced widely reported issues like water shortages and ground contamination near existing data centers. “They call us old stupid farmers, you know, but we’re not,” Huddleston stated. “We know whenever our food is disappearing, our lands are disappearing, and we don’t have any water, and that poison. Well, we know we’ve had it.”
She also questioned the promised economic benefits for Mason County, dismissing the project as a scam unlikely to generate meaningful local jobs or growth. Despite the rejection, the unnamed company has not abandoned its plans for the region. Reports indicate it has revised its proposal and filed a zoning request to rezone over 2,000 acres in northern Kentucky. This move suggests the data center could still be constructed adjacent to the Huddleston family property. The situation highlights a growing national tension between rapid technological infrastructure expansion and the preservation of farmland and rural communities.
(Source: TechCrunch)