Family TURNS DOWN $26 MILLION to keep their land: Data center refusal
News Clip1:11The National Desk·Maysville, Mason County, KY·3/25/2026
A family in Mason County, Kentucky, declined a $26 million offer to sell their farmland for an AI data center, citing environmental concerns. Despite their refusal, the unnamed company is proceeding with plans using land purchased from other landowners in the area.
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Ida Huddleston and her family in Mason County, Kentucky, rejected a $26 million offer for half of their 1,200 acres of farmland, which an unnamed major AI company intended to convert into a data center. The family cited concerns about disappearing land, food, and potential water pollution, stating, "We know whenever our food is disappearing, our lands are disappearing and we don't have any water and poison." They expressed that local landowners are not "stupid farmers" and are aware of the consequences of such developments. This offer was approximately ten times the reported land value of $6,000 per acre in Mason County.
Despite the Huddleston family's refusal, the company revised its development plans to use land acquired from other property owners in the area who did agree to sell. Dozens of other landowners in Mason County have also been approached by the same major AI company for similar purposes, indicating ongoing data center development in the region.