Kentucky farmer rejects $26M offer for land sale to AI company

An 82-year-old landowner near Maysville refuses to sell farmland despite a bid far above market value

A farmer in Kentucky has rejected a $26 million offer to sell part of her land to an artificial intelligence company, declining a deal worth roughly ten times the market value of farmland in the area.

According to Local 12, 82-year-old Ida Huddleston and her family own about 1,200 acres of farmland near Maysville. The company, whose name has not been disclosed by U.S. media, sought to purchase roughly half of the property to convert it into a data center, but received a firm refusal.

“Twenty-six million dollars means nothing,” said Delsia Bare, Huddleston’s daughter, explaining the family’s decision. “We’re staying, keeping what we have, and continuing to feed the nation.”

Bare said the family’s connection to the land spans generations. “My grandfather, my great-grandfather, and many relatives lived here for years. They paid taxes on this land and helped feed an entire nation,” she said. “They even grew wheat during the Great Depression and supported bread lines in the United States when people had nothing.”

Despite the refusal, the data center project may still move forward nearby. Bare told Local 12 that the company has contacted dozens of landowners in the area, and some have agreed to sell.

The offer proved attractive to many, as farmland in Mason County is valued at around $6,000 per acre, while the proposal was reportedly about ten times higher.

Huddleston remains opposed to the deal. “I say they’re liars, and they’re not telling the truth. It’s a scam,” she told Local 12. “They call us old, stupid farmers, but we’re not.”

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