MAYSVILLE, KY — A mother-daughter duo in Mason County has captured national attention by turning down a staggering $26 million (approx. ₹244 crore) offer to sell a portion of their 1,200-acre ancestral farm. The offer, made by an unnamed Fortune 100 artificial intelligence company, was reportedly ten times the market value of local farmland.
82-year-old Ida Huddleston and her daughter, Delsia Bare, have remained firm in their refusal, citing a commitment to national food security and a deep-rooted connection to the land that sustained their family through the Great Depression.
The Breakdown of the Offer
The mystery tech giant sought to purchase roughly half of the family’s property for a massive, multi-billion-dollar hyperscale data center campus.
| Owner | Property Size | Offer Amount | Price Per Acre |
| Ida Huddleston | 71 Acres | $4.26 Million | $60,000 |
| Delsia Bare | 463 Acres | $22.2 Million | $48,000 |
| Total | 534 Acres | $26.46 Million | — |
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Market Context: Typical farmland in Mason County is valued at approximately $6,000 per acre.
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The Scale: Planning documents suggest the full project would span 2,080 acres and require 2.2 gigawatts of power—enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes.
“We Are Not Stupid”: Why They Said No
Despite the life-changing sum, the family’s decision was fueled by skepticism toward the corporate promises and the environmental “cost” of AI.
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Transparency Issues: The company refused to identify itself, using intermediaries and requiring local officials to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). “When they will not reveal who they are, that’s a major player in what you’re going to do with the rest of your life,” Bare told LEX 18.
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Environmental Impact: Huddleston expressed grave concerns over water depletion and chemical cooling. “We know whenever our food is disappearing, our lands are disappearing, and we don’t have any water… we’ve had it,” she stated.
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Jobs Skepticism: While officials claim the project would create 400 full-time jobs, Huddleston dismissed the figures as a “scam,” questioning if the high-tech roles would actually go to local residents.
The Hidden Cost of AI Prompts
The standoff highlights the physical resource demands of the digital world. Data centers are increasingly moving to rural areas for cheap land and high-voltage power access, but their water consumption is a growing flashpoint:
The Environmental Footprint: Scientists estimate that a single 100-word AI prompt consumes roughly 519 ml of water (one standard bottle) for cooling purposes. Across billions of daily users, this puts immense strain on local aquifers.
What’s Next?
The fight isn’t over. While the Huddlestons have refused to sell, the developer has filed a request to rezone over 2,000 acres of neighboring land. Public hearings are scheduled for March 25 and 26 at the Maysville Community and Technical College to discuss the zoning changes.
