By In Mason County, Kentucky, a multigenerational farming family has declined a multimillion-dollar buyout offer, choosing instead to retain land that has supported them for generations.
Delsia Bare’s family has worked the fields outside Maysville for decades, including during the Great Depression, when crops from the property helped sustain local communities. Last April, representatives from an unidentified Fortune 100 technology company approached the family with an offer to purchase roughly half of their 1,200-acre farm at about 10 times the typical market rate—an estimated $26 million deal, writes Fox News.
Bare rejected the proposal. “Stay and hold and feed a nation,” she said. “$26 million doesn’t mean anything.”
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
Her 82-year-old mother, Ida Huddleston, also expressed skepticism about the company’s claims regarding economic benefits and job creation. “I say they’re a liar, and the truth isn’t in them,” she said. “That’s what I say. It’s a scam.”
The family’s decision reflects a broader pattern across rural areas, where some landowners are declining high-value offers from technology firms seeking large tracts for artificial intelligence data centers. These facilities typically require extensive land, access to power, and significant water resources, often in less densely populated regions.
In Mason County, other farmers have taken a similar stance. Dr. Tim Grosser, who operates a 250-acre cattle farm with his son, turned down offers as high as $35,000 per acre—more than four times the local rate. At one point, developers invited him to name his price. He declined. “That money can’t buy happiness,” Grosser said.
The identity of the prospective buyer has not been disclosed, though local officials have described it as a major global technology company. A 2.2-gigawatt power request filed with East Kentucky Power Cooperative has drawn attention to the scale of the proposed development. Some residents have raised concerns about a lack of transparency, noting that details became public only after the filing surfaced and that nondisclosure agreements limited early discussion.
Rezoning hearings for approximately 2,080 acres across 28 parcels are scheduled for March 25 and 26 at Maysville Community and Technical College. While some landowners have agreed to sell, others continue to resist, even as the company adjusts its plans to incorporate available properties.
Similar disputes have emerged in other states. In Pennsylvania, 86-year-old farmer Mervin Raudabaugh declined a $15.7 million offer—about $60,000 per acre—for his 261-acre farm near Harrisburg. Instead, he transferred development rights to a farmland preservation group for less than $2 million. “It breaks my heart to think of what’s going to take place here, because only the land that’s preserved here is going to be here,” he said. “The American farm family is definitely in trouble.”
In Virginia, residents in Pittsylvania County successfully opposed a proposed 1,000-acre facility, while in Indiana, increased demand for land tied to data center development has contributed to rising property taxes, affecting farmers who do not sell. Former Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has criticized the pace of development, citing a lack of regulatory “guardrails.”
The demand for rural land is driven in part by the operational needs of large-scale data centers. These projects prioritize space and resource access over proximity to urban areas, with average deal sizes increasing significantly in recent years. Many states now offer tax incentives to attract such developments, and federal policies have streamlined approvals.
The facilities can require substantial water and electricity. Some data centers consume millions of gallons of water per day for cooling, while agricultural land continues to decline nationwide. Federal data shows millions of acres of farmland have been lost in recent years, with no net gains across states.
Many believe that an AI boom could be coming to the Bluegrass State. Supporters of the Kentucky project point to potential economic benefits, including hundreds of permanent jobs and more than 1,500 construction positions, along with increased local tax revenue. In other regions, such as Loudoun County, Virginia, data center development has generated significant public revenue.
Bare, however, has indicated her decision will not change. “As long as I’m on this land—as long as it’s feeding me—as long as it’s taking care of me—there’s nothing that can destroy me if I’ve got this land.”
As local officials move forward with rezoning discussions, the outcome in Mason County reflects a broader question facing rural communities: whether to accept large-scale development tied to emerging technologies or preserve land held across generations.
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