The president of the Missouri Farmers Union says rural and urban communities should have a voice when it comes to data center development.
Katie Nixon, a farmer from Hickory County, says a policy considered by the organization restricts the construction of data centers and calls for responsible development.
“Making sure lawmakers are allowing development that’s responsible. And when I say responsible, I mean is not drinking up all the water, making energy costs and land costs go up. Also, your neighbor, if they sell their land to a data center company, what happens to you? What happens to your own farm?”
Several data centers have been proposed in Missouri. Nixon says she expects more, but says communities need to consider the long-term consequences.
“The loss of farmland is always a pressure point. We are losing farmland at a rate that’s just crazy. And we won’t get that farmland back.”
The policy was adopted at the annual gathering on Tuesday.
The National Farmers Union has already adopted data center policy language, which Nixon says could be refined and expanded as the issue grows.
