Did a Maine lobsterman turn down a $15 million offer to build a data center on his Down East property? | Fact brief

There’s no evidence that a Down East lobsterman rejected such an offer. The viral Facebook claim appears to be a fictionalized retelling of a real case in Pennsylvania.

In that case, retired farmer Mervin Raudabaugh declined more than $15 million from data center developers for two farms covering about 261 acres in Silver Spring Township. The Lancaster Farmland Trust says the Raudabaugh family instead preserved both farms through conservation easements; the township says the deal closed on Dec. 30, 2025.

The family retained the farms but sold its development rights for about $1.9 million, permanently restricting development. Raudabaugh expressed concern about the loss of American farmland and growing U.S. reliance on other countries for food.

Maine does have a Down East data center proposal, but the details differ. Federal regulators are reviewing a proposed underwater project near Eastport; the filing contains no $15 million land offer to a lobsterman.