#Datacenter builders thought #farmers would willingly sell land, learn otherwise
Even in a fragile farm economy, million-dollar offers can’t sway dedicated farmers.
Ashley Belanger – Feb 23, 2026
Excerpt: "For 'Silicon Valley executives,' rural areas are likely attractive due to 'weak zoning protections, cheap power, and abundant water,' The Guardian reported.
"It likely doesn’t help to sell the farmers these deals when they tend to come out of nowhere, following a knock on the door from a middleman who doesn’t make it clear who wants to buy the land or how the land would be used.
"One 82-year-old Kentucky woman, Ida Huddleston, turned away a 'Fortune 500 company' offering $33 million for 650 acres. NBC News reported that several of her neighbors received similar offers. Huddleston joined at least five other residents in the county who refused to move forward after learning they’d have to sign a non-disclosure agreement just to find out who they would be dealing with. Ultimately, Huddleston had to search public records to figure out that a data center was even being planned in the area, The Guardian reported. The #LackOfTransparency is a problem, farmers have said, because what buyers want to do with the land matters.
" 'You don’t have enough to buy me out,' Huddleston told the company representatives when rejecting the deal. 'I’m not for sale. Leave me alone, I’m satisfied.' "
Read more:
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/02/im-not-for-sale-farmers-refuse-to-take-millions-in-data-center-deals/
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/DB229
#Datacenters #LandIsLife #NoDatacentersOnFarms #NoAI
#AISucks #NoWaterForAI
#NoNukesForAI #SendTechBrosToMars #NoMoreDatacenters #WaterIsLife #USPol
