North Carolina farmer erupts, warns county board to 'watch what's in your food' as they push major data center

A Lee County farmer's angry remarks at a public meeting have become a focal point in the dispute over data centers in rural North Carolina.

Video from the Aug. 17 Board of Commissioners meeting shows the retired farmer speaking about his family's long history on the land and saying the planned project has driven him to a breaking point.

Here's what to know

Curious Scout (@curious.scout) reported that the commissioners signed off on changes to permit data centers in light industrial zones. "Land originally permitted for a business park has since been purchased by PointOne Data Centers to develop a massive 11-building campus despite growing public outcry and now outrage," she wrote.

The creator added, "The data center fight in Lee County is reaching a boiling point with residents." In the video, a local farmer becomes emotional about the danger this poses to his third-generation farm. One official apparently laughed at the farmer, causing him to point it out and get even angrier.

"Now, look. I've been down there for 47 years. I'm third generation on this farm," he says in the clip. "I'm thinking about selling every damn thing I got because of y'all."

By the end of his time at the microphone during the hearing, the farmer even warned the board that their approved changes — which he implied would fundamentally change the community and possibly bring significant noise, air, and water pollution, as many data centers do — could lead to so much anger that some may spit in or tamper with food the board may eat.

"You're gonna keep pushing people in Lee County," he said, "and you better watch what's in your food when you eat, cuz people are tired of it." 

A commenter wrote, "One thing everyone I've talked to in N.C. agrees on (right, left, and center) is we don't want data centers or Flock cameras." The video had 90,000 views and was shared over 2,700 times.

More background

The caption described the people in the fight as "parents, landowners, farmers, and friends."

Data center projects can raise fears that farmland will be industrialized and landscapes will be changed. Residents also question whether county leaders listen to the people most affected.

This farmer said he was retired and had spent his life trying to keep the family tradition going. He noted he had "lost enough sleep" over the matter.

As more communities are asked to host tech infrastructure, it's really a flashpoint felt nationwide: Who benefits and who bears the burden when artificial intelligence development arrives?

What can be done?

Public comment periods, planning meetings, and commissioner votes are often where zoning changes are cemented or challenged.

In Lee County, calls for a moratorium, clearer siting rules, and greater transparency have forced a public accounting of what is being approved and why.

When residents feel unheard, elections can become part of the response. For some people, this is no longer a planning issue. It is a question of whether local government is respecting the community it is meant to serve.

"Y'all can stop it. It's not funny. This stuff is not funny," the farmer said.

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