gaming

Northern Kentucky family rejects $26M offer to sell 600 acres for AI data center

A farming family in Northern Kentucky turned down a $26 million bid to buy half of their 1,200-acre property for an AI data center. Landowners Ida Huddleston and her daughter Delsia Bare refused the sale to preserve family farmland, local food production and because of environmental and community concerns. The buyer is anonymous but represents a major AI company; the offer highlights growing local resistance to AI infrastructure projects and disputes over economic and environmental impacts.

• The offer was $26 million for half of a 1,200-acre farm (600 acres) owned by Ida Huddleston and her family.
• Huddleston and daughter Delsia Bare rejected the bid, citing family history of farming, a commitment to feed the nation, and concerns about water contamination and loss of farmland.
• Local land value is reported at about $6,000 per acre; the $26 million offer equates to roughly $43,300 per acre, several times the stated local value.
• The episode joins other community pushbacks over AI infrastructure, including SpaceXAI's agreement to remove 69 temporary methane turbines in Memphis after local objections.