In 2025, an AI data center plan put a Kentucky family’s farmland in developers’ sights; a mother and daughter refused $26 million and kept their land

In 2025, a Kentucky family refused $26 million to sell their 1,200-acre farmland for a data center. Ida Huddleston and her daughter Delsia Bare, who have farmed the land for generations, said no to the offer from a Fortune 100 company. The family had signed a contract with the county's industrial development authority, which they later sought to release after learning the land would be used for a data center.

Huddleston feels her responsibility is to keep the land for future generations, and she intends to die in her home on the property. The company's data center would recycle water and have a waste output comparable to existing factories, according to Maysville City Manager Matt Wallingford. However, the family believes the decision is not solely about the monetary value of the land but also about preserving their agricultural way of life.