Local business owner speaks out after their name got mixed into an online debate on data centers

Ashcombe Farm and Greenhouses, a local business in Monroe Township, Pennsylvania, faced a social media frenzy and calls for boycott after being mistakenly associated with a proposed data center development. The confusion arose when an online post erroneously claimed Ashcombe was selling land for a data center. Ashcombe clarified that their name, common in the area, is distinct from the entities involved in the data center proposal. The actual project is a joint venture between Pennsylvania Data Center Partners and Powerhouse Data Centers, who submitted a letter to Monroe Township to propose a data center on land on the same road as Ashcombe's greenery. Ashcombe's owners stated they were only aware of a housing development project for the site and learned about the data center proposal when it went viral online. The owners of Ashcombe Farm and Greenhouses, like many online, expressed serious concerns regarding the potential data center. These concerns include environmental impacts on renowned fishing areas like Yellow Breeches, increased traffic, and effects on property values. Ashcombe's owners plan to attend a meeting on June 11th at the Monroe Township Building to voice their concerns. They previously attended meetings for a proposed housing development on the site and have discussed green space and walking paths with those developers.