Kentucky farm family turns down $26 million AI data-center proposal

An anonymous artificial-intelligence company offered the Huddleston family $26 million to acquire about half of their 1,200-acre property in Mason County, Northern Kentucky. The family, who have farmed the land for generations, turned down the deal, arguing that preserving agricultural land, food production and water resources is more valuable than cash. Ida Huddleston highlighted concerns about losing farmland and the “poison” of excessive water use tied to data-center operations.

Her daughter Delsia Bare recalled ancestors who grew wheat during the Great Depression and stressed the farm’s role in feeding the nation. Local farmland typically sells for around $6,000 per acre, making the offer nearly ten times the market rate. While the Huddleston family refused, the AI firm has reportedly secured agreements with other nearby landowners, leaving the possibility of a data-center still open in the area.