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60 days to leave: Texas farmland and the data center boom
Cheyenne Buerger is a fourth-generation farmer near Stamford, Texas. When his landlord sold 600 acres for a Google data center, he was told to leave within 60 days (Texas Tribune, via KPRC). His story is one small piece of a much larger change in what Texas land is used for.
The numbers
From the Texas Tribune's August 2026 reporting:
- At least 248 data centers are planned in Texas, and a Tribune analysis found 335 already operating.
- More than 1.8 million acres of Texas land were converted to non-agricultural use from 2017 to 2022.
- Texas Water Development Board data projects a 25% decline in groundwater availability by 2070.
And the longer view: American Farmland Trust ranked Texas the most threatened state in the nation, with 1,373,000 acres of agricultural land developed or compromised from 2001 to 2016. Houston, Austin, Dallas–Fort Worth and San Antonio were among the hot spots (American Farmland Trust).
Why it reaches your kitchen
Farmland near a city is what makes local food possible. Every acre that goes under concrete pushes the next farm further from the people it feeds. Small farms on rented land, like Buerger's, have the least protection when land values climb.
What you can do this week
- Find the farms still near you. Most sell direct and never show up in a search. Our guide to finding a farm near you walks through where to look.
- Buy one thing direct. A dozen eggs, a box of produce or a share of beef bought from the farm keeps more of your money with the farmer.
- Go to the market. A farmers market is where many small farms make their week. Find markets and farm stands near you.
Why we built Only Local Co.
Only Local Co. is a community platform for the local food economy. Farms, ranchers, bakers and makers get a free storefront so people nearby can find them and buy from them directly. People before profits.
Figures from the Texas Tribune (27 August 2026, republished by KPRC) and American Farmland Trust's Farms Under Threat report (2020). Checked against the linked sources on 25 October 2026.