Farmers say no to $26 million from data center
News Clip1:07LOCAL 12·Maysville, Mason County, KY·3/22/2026
A family in Maysville, Kentucky, turned down a $26 million offer from an unnamed data center company for 600 acres of their farmland. They cite concerns over losing agricultural land, food production, and water resources to data center development. The family expresses distrust in promises of economic prosperity.
oppositionenvironmentalwater
Ida Huddleston, 82, and her daughter Delia Bear, who own 1,200 acres of farmland outside Maysville, Kentucky, rejected a $26 million offer for half of their property. The offer came from an unnamed company, described as a major player in artificial intelligence, speculated to be Google, Meta, or Amazon, which intends to build a data center on the land.
The family's decision stems from a deep-rooted commitment to their agricultural heritage and concerns about the environmental impact. Delia Bear expressed, "Our food is disappearing, our lands are disappearing, and we don't have any water." She further stated that the family has paid taxes on the land and fed the nation, even raising wheat during the Depression.
Huddleston voiced her distrust of AI companies' promises regarding economic prosperity, dismissing them as a "scam." The family remains steadfast in their refusal to sell, prioritizing their land and its use for farming over the substantial financial offer.