A Kentucky farmer, self-described as a “country hick,” delivered a resolute rebuke to an anonymous AI company offering her family land for millions of dollars. “Kick rocks and don’t come back,” she declared outright.

Delsia Bare and her mother Ida Huddleston initially agreed to sell their property—a plot in Maysville that had been in their family for nearly 200 years—for a combined $26.48 million when approached by representatives of an unknown AI firm. However, the duo withdrew the deal after learning the proposed use would be data centers.

Bare stated she stepped away fearing accountability: “If I step off of this piece of property and it becomes something for an AI hub, then I have failed to occupy and I can be held accountable for that on the Judgment hour.” The land, spanning 463 acres for Bare and 71 acres for her mother, was offered at $48,000 per acre and $60,000 per acre respectively.

Bare emphasized the irreplaceable value of their land: “If it’s my way, I’ll stay and hold and feed a nation. 26 million doesn’t mean anything.” She added, “As long as I’m on this land, as long as it’s feeding me, as long as it’s taking care of me, there’s nothing that can destroy me if I’ve got this land.”

The family has joined local efforts to challenge data center construction through lawsuits, deepening community divisions in Maysville. According to recent public hearings, the unnamed company behind the proposal holds contracts “ready to go” for 28 properties and faces no immediate naming until zoning approvals are secured. While economic development officials claim the project would create hundreds of jobs, Bare’s steadfast refusal underscores a growing conflict between land preservation and corporate ambitions in rural America.