For generations, the Huddleston family has been the steadfast owner of a farm in Northern Kentucky, a legacy they are fiercely committed to preserving. Their dedication was recently underscored when they rejected a multi-million dollar offer aimed at acquiring a portion of their cherished land.
Last year, as detailed in a recent WKRC report, a prominent artificial intelligence company proposed a $26 million deal to purchase part of the Huddleston farm for a planned data center. Ida Huddleston and her family unequivocally declined the offer, expressing their firm opposition to having a data center constructed either near their property or on any of their 1,200 acres of farmland located outside Maysville, Kentucky.
“They call us old stupid farmers, you know, but we’re not,” stated 82-year-old Ida Huddleston in an interview with Local 12 WKRC. She articulated profound concerns, adding, “We know whenever our food is disappearing, our lands are disappearing, and we don’t have any water — and that poison. Well, we know we’ve had it.” Her remarks seemingly referenced the widely reported issues of water shortages and ground contamination observed in areas surrounding data centers.
During the same interview with the news station, Huddleston voiced strong skepticism regarding any potential job creation or economic growth a data center might bring to Mason County. “It’s a scam,” she declared.
Despite the family's refusal, the unnamed company, according to the WKRC report, has since revised its strategy. It has filed a zoning request to rezone over 2,000 acres elsewhere in Northern Kentucky, suggesting the AI firm may still proceed with building its data center in close proximity to the Huddleston family’s land.
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