“Kick Rocks And Don’t Come Back” – Farmers Reject $26 Million Offer To Build Data Centers On Land

'Country hick' Kentucky farmers reject AI company's $26M offer to build data centers on land https://t.co/KcNRXSZxST pic.twitter.com/VnY7nNX6xV

— New York Post (@nypost) August 16, 2026

Click to expand...

Bare said she’d decided to back out of the deal fearing she’d be “held accountable” by higher powers for selling the family farm just to have it replaced by an AI hub.

“If I step off of this piece of property and it becomes something for an AI hub, then I have failed to occupy and I can be held accountable for that on the Judgment hour,” she told the outlet.

The deal from the anonymous business — believed to be connected to Meta, according to WSJ — stood to have the duo trade the land, which had been in the family for around 200 years, for the handsome payout well above market rate.

Bare was offered $48,000 per acre for 463 acres of land, while Huddleston stood to collect $60,000 a piece for 71 acres of land — totalling a combined $26.48 million, the two told the outlet.

Meta said no decision has been made about working in the area, in a statement to the Journal.

Click to expand...

NEW: Kentucky family rejects $26 million offer to convert part of their farm into a data center despite the offer being about 10 times the going rate for farmland in the area.

"If it's my way, I'll stay and hold and feed a nation. 26 million doesn't mean anything."

"As long as… pic.twitter.com/eK9gTXmwq0

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 24, 2026

Click to expand...

Maysville, Kentucky residents being kicked out to make room for a Data Center

“It's a community made up of mostly elderly people and people with disabilities in a trailer park. Now those families are being told they need to make way for a massive data center. The notice came… pic.twitter.com/MtMzDloDes

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) April 5, 2026

Click to expand...

In December, Andy Grosser and his father, Timothy, rejected nearly $8 million for their farm at the same proposed data center site, WLEX reported. However, Bare told WKRC that some residents have agreed to sell, which means the data center could still be built nearby.

According to information presented at a public hearing on Wednesday, March 26, the unnamed company behind the proposal has contracts “ready to go” to purchase 28 properties, per WCPO-TV and WKRC, which further reported that the company likely won’t be named until all those contracts have been signed— and the company gets the go-ahead to move forward with the plan, which would require a zoning change.

Speaking with WLEX in October, Tyler McHugh, economic development director for the Maysville-Mason County Industrial Development Authority, said they believe the project will create 400 full-time positions along with more than 1,500 construction jobs.

The Joint Planning Commission, which did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment, held public meetings to discuss the proposed data center this week at the Maysville Community and Technical College Fields Auditorium.

The first meeting on Wednesday, March 25, became contentious when Hank Graddy, the attorney representing Mason County residents, unsuccessfully attempted to get Tanner Nichols to name the company wanting to build the data center, ABC affiliate WCPO-TV and WKRC reported.

According to WCPO-TV, the company has not been named due to nondisclosure agreements. Furthermore, according to WKRC, Nichols said the name would likely not be revealed until the zoning change is approved and all the land-buying contracts are signed.

Click to expand...