# ‘They call us old stupid farmers, you know, but we’re not’: Family declines $26 million offer to convert their farmland into an AI data center

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/they-call-us-old-stupid-farmers-you-know-but-were-not-family-declines-26-million-offer-to-convert-their-farmland-into-an-ai-data-center/
- Published: 2026-08-07T10:25:11+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-25T00:34:30+00:00
- Original publisher: PC Gamer
- Original article: https://www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/they-call-us-old-stupid-farmers-you-know-but-were-not-family-declines-usd26-million-offer-to-convert-their-farmland-into-an-ai-data-center/
- Topics: AI, Americas, Technology

## Key points

- Family rejects $26 million to sell farmland for an AI data centre
- They reject being dismissed as "old stupid farmers"
- Case reflects wider clash between AI expansion and rural landowners

## Summary

A farming family in the United States has turned down a $26 million offer from a company wanting to convert their farmland into an AI data centre, choosing to continue their agricultural work instead. The story highlights the growing tension between the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure, which requires vast tracts of land for data centres, and rural communities who feel their way of life and land are being undervalued or dismissed by tech investors.

The family pushed back against being characterised as "old stupid farmers" who could simply be bought out, framing their refusal as a defence of their identity and livelihood rather than a purely financial decision. The case reflects a wider pattern across the US, where AI companies are increasingly targeting agricultural land for data centre construction amid surging demand for computing power, often facing resistance from landowners unwilling to sell despite substantial financial incentives.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.