Why This Cumberland County Farmer Said No to $15M From Data Center Developers
February 12, 2026 | Source: Penn Live | by Charles Thompson
When someone comes to your door with the promise of $15 million, you might think your ship has come in. Not Mervin Raudabaugh.
He didn’t board the boat. Now the 86-year-old is being hailed as a hero by some for turning down a data center developer’s verbal offer of $60,000 per acre for his two Cumberland County farms. Raudabaugh chose instead to sell the development rights to his 261 acres in Silver Spring Township for just under $1.9 million.
The conservation easements now held by Lancaster Farmland Trust effectively preserve Raudabaugh’s farms for agricultural use in perpetuity.
Raudabaugh, who has several heirs but none interested in taking over the farm, said he had actually explored preservation for several years.
He finalized the deal late last year after what he described as persistent efforts by a data center team to buy his 261 acres and two neighboring properties.