Data Centers, Farmland, and You.

Good morning everyone.  

To begin, we wanted to share a link to the “County of Ogle” Youtube page.  At this point, we are unsure if this will continue to be an official page for the streams of meetings : @CountyOfOgle

As it relates to the most recent Ogle County Board meeting, you can click the following link: OCB Meeting 8/18/2026
[For public comment regarding data centers, please go to the 36:36 mark]

In the coming weeks, we will be sharing news articles and evidence-based research that demonstrates the very real harm that data centers inflict upon farming communities.  

For today, we will be highlighting the struggles that farmers and ranchers in Texas face: 

Temple rancher worries data center construction threatens family farm dating back to 1870s – KWTX
Alton Fowler of Fowler Farms on low-frequency noise from a nearby $700 million Rowan Digital Infrastructure data center preventing cattle and goat breeding and causing 30 percent body-weight loss.

How Data Centers Are Eating Up Rural Texas – The Austin Chronicle

Texas Land Trends – Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute
Documents the loss of nearly 1.8 million acres of working lands and more than 17,000 agricultural operations in the most recent five-year period.

Ag census shows Texas lost over 17,700 farms – Texas Farm Bureau
Reports Census of Agriculture figures on the decline in Texas farm numbers and acreage between 2017 and 2022.

Rural Texas pushback grows over AI data center expansion – Austin American-Statesman
Covers farmer concerns over water, noise, heat, and lack of transparency regarding long-term effects of data centers on livestock and crop production.

That’s all for today.  Please continue to do your research, to engage, and to not lose heart.