Farmers turn down millions as AI data centres target rural land

Farmers across the United States are rejecting offers worth millions of dollars from the tech giants that are looking for land to establish AI data centres. In Mason County, Kentucky, 82-year-old Ida Huddleston rejected an offer of $33 million for her 650-acre family farm after discovering that the developers, who are affiliated with a Fortune 100 company, plan to build a 2.2-gigawatt data centre on the property.

Globally, some 40,000 acres will be required over the next five years, which is a doubling of the current presence. In northern Virginia, investors have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on farmland that was subsequently resold to tech giants.

In Kentucky, several farmers reportedly refused offers, including one who was told he could name any price. In Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, others rejected deals worth tens of millions. For some, the money does not outweigh generations of connection to the land.

For families like the Huddlestons, farming is more than business. “My whole entire life is nothing but the land,” Huddleston said. Her daughter, Delsia Bare, described an unbreakable bond shaped by decades of shared labour and history.

Experts say such decisions reflect cultural stewardship. University of Missouri Professor of Rural Sociology Mary Hendrickson noted that farmland is often viewed as a birthright tied to past and future generations.

Local authorities believe that data centres could help revitalise a dwindling rural economy through jobs created during the construction phase and taxes. However, experts highlight that the data centres could put a strain on the power grid and water resources and will result in a permanent loss of agricultural land. Landowners are also concerned about the possibility of eminent domain.