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Tennessee to use eminent domain to take farmers’ land for Ford EV campus

Apr 06, 2023

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Tennessee’s plans to use eminent domain to seize privately-owned farmland for Ford’s $5.6 billion “mega campus” project, BlueOval City, have sparked concern among local farmers. The state government has committed $884 million in incentives to Ford, including the formation of an 11-person board with the power to seize land.

The planned BlueOval City campus in western Tennessee will be the site for building both electric trucks and batteries. The state is seeking 35 separate tracts to connect the campus to I-40, and so far, it has taken possession of 15 tracts.

The use of eminent domain has raised concerns among farmers who own the targeted tracts of land. They worry that they won’t be adequately compensated for their land. One farmer who spoke with the Tennessee Lookout stated that the state was offering him less than $4,000 per acre, far below the average value of Tennessee farmland, which was $4,700 per acre in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Eminent domain is a controversial power that allows the government to take private property for public use, but it is supposed to be used only after adequate compensation is offered to the affected parties.

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IT’S ANOTHER INSTANCE OF A STORY WE’VE TOLD YOU ABOUT BEFORE.

A STATE WITH PLANS TO USE EMINENT DOMAIN TO SEIZE LAND IN ORDER TO BUILD AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE PLANT.

FIRST — IT WAS NORTH CAROLINA SEIZING HOMES — BUSINESSES — AND A CHURCH SO THAT THE VIETNAMESE E-V COMPANY, VINFAST, COULD BUILD A FACTORY.

NOW — TENNESSEE PLANS ON SEIZING PRIVATELY-OWNED FARMLAND SO FORD CAN DO THE SAME.

IT’S ALL PART OF FORD’S PLAN TO BUILD A 5-POINT-6-BILLION-DOLLAR “MEGA CAMPUS” IN WESTERN TENNESSEE.

IT’S CALLED “BLUEOVAL CITY.”

FORD PLANS ON BUILDING BOTH ELECTRIC TRUCKS AND BATTERIES THERE.

THE TENNESSEE STATE GOVERNMENT HAS COMMITTED 884 MILLION DOLLARS IN STATE INCENTIVES TO FORD.

THIS INCLUDES THE FORMATION OF AN 11-PERSON BOARD — WHICH HAS THE POWER TO SEIZE LAND VIA EMINENT DOMAIN.

FARMERS WHO HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO COURT OVER THEIR LAND ARE EXPRESSING CONCERN OVER HOW MUCH THEY’RE BEING OFFERED FOR THEIR LAND.

A FARMER WHO SPOKE WITH THE TENNESSEE LOOKOUT SAID THE STATE WAS OFFERING HIM LESS THAN 4-THOUSAND DOLLARS PER ACRE — FAR LESS THAN FAIR MARKET VALUE.

ACCORDING TO THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE – THE AVERAGE VALUE OF TENNESSEE FARMLAND WAS 47-HUNDRED DOLLARS IN 20-22.

QUOTE — “YOU CAN’T BUY NO LAND HERE FOR $3,500 AN ACRE. YOU CAN’T BUY A SWAMP HERE FOR $3,500… I TOLD THEM THIS IS THE BIGGEST RIPOFF THERE IS. THEY WANT YOUR LAND, BUT THEY DON’T WANT YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WEALTH.”

ACCORDING TO THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION — THE STATE IS SEEKING 35 SEPARATE TRACTS TO CONNECT THE CAMPUS TO I-40.

IT HAS TAKEN POSSESSION OF 15 TRACTS SO FAR.