October 17, 2022
Law, Missouri

Understanding the Opposition: From a Knox County Land Owner

Peterson, Kris Campbell

“There are four of us leading this battle in Knox County [Missouri]. (We are all land owners, three of us are “Century Farms”). I can tell you they are smooth. Tenaska had been invited in by a local lawyer. From there they “quietly” approached land owners promising high payments for their land to be leased. “All you have to do is sign the contract”. Well … inside this contract is a “gag order” – meaning you cannot discuss said project with anyone or they will sue you. This is how they sneak in and you don’t even know.

One of the four I work with was checking his cattle one morning and caught several men in his pasture. He questioned them and they let it slip they were surveying for a substation – right next to his new house! That is when the alarms went up. We had surveyors all over us. “Looking for points” they would say. Now here is what you need to know. THEY CANNOT TRESPASS on you. They will say they have the “right to enter” because they are surveyors. However the only time the “right to enter law” comes into effect is if the survey is commissioned by the Department of Agriculture. Read all that again!

We locked gates and posted our farms. They climbed fences, cut chains and entered anyway. It was at this point my elderly Dad caught them and held them at gunpoint until the sheriff arrived.

Then came the smooth talking lease agents. They trespassed everywhere. In my barns. In my kennels. In my pastures. My parents are in their 70’s and they approached them on 14 different occasions. They only approached me once.

So fast forward to March of 2020. We hosted a “land owners meeting” at our community center. We lined up several presentations: Health, Livestock, Agricultural, and speeches by two ladies living inside a “project”. We had over 100 in attendance. And afterwards … the project lease acquisition came to a halt.

Then they attacked us.

We had crops destroyed. They brought in a helicopter and chased cattle. They opened gates. They drove through fences. We had a bull run to his death and had several cattle shot. This is No Joke, people. I cannot tell you with strong enough words just how dangerous this is.

INFRASOUND produced by the blades passing the towers will destroy your health, the breeding cycles of your livestock. They will deny it. But LOOK IT UP. Tucker Carlson even did a documentary [1] on it. We got numbers for our commissioners.

We have eyes all over the county watching for strange “visitors”. We watch the commissioner meetings. WE SHOW UP. We are respectful, but let me tell you we make this company VERY nervous with our presence. But … why would we not? The first few meetings we had 20-25 land owners present. The last meeting? We had 44 farms represented. The four of us have locked borders with our neighbors and we have created “land masses” that had severed their project in 3 pieces. They have offered enormous amounts of money to land owners only to be turned down. You need to stand together and make them unwelcome. When they enter our area … we follow them. And I will give you a heads up … They do a lot of their activities at night, holidays and Sundays. Why sneak if this is such a righteous endeavor?

If I can help you guys I will.

The hidden things that they are not telling you: When they approach you, they have a top piece of paper. This paper states a dollar figure. The 30+ pages under that is what you need to be concerned with. They will try to not let you that. You sign the top and they keep the others. Inside this “contract” are little things you have to READ!!!!!

First: Once leased they are in control of your land. They will say … “Oh you can keep doing as you have always done”. This is a no. You will not be permitted to build any structure on your land without their approval. Anything over 35 feet can be removed. Read that again. I have a 100-year-old hip-roofed barn. It is an icon here. They cordially told me they would “take it down for free” once I signed.

Sure you can plant your crops!! But if they decide to do a bat study? They mow them off. If they replace a blade? They mow them off. If a blade is thrown? You are entitled a one-time payment for the damage. If it happens again? Sorry, Charlie.

NO HUNTING.

Sure you can run cattle … but they are not liable for shutting gates if they should forget to close one.

That pretty red flashing light? Guess what … if they decommission the tower you have to maintain that for FAA purposes.

My favorite? They can use YOUR land as collateral for their projects. Yes, you read that correctly. They can take liens out on your land.

Another tidbit. They have the “quiet enjoyment” of your land for 30 (to 60) years.

We have not figured out this one: If they want to do something you can’t kick them off.

As for damage to your land. It is irreparable.

We were taken to Eminent Domain over a transmission line. They took 11 acres from us. they put the power line across the back side of our homesteaded farm. NOTHING grows under the line. No crops. Not even grass in the pasture. GPS does not work around the line. The line also interferes with the electronics on our combine and tractors.

Folks, I could write you a book … Get your ducks in a row now, educate your elderly neighbors. Help them understand. There is no such thing as free money.

Kris Campbell Peterson
July 20, 2022
https://nowindfarmhere.com/resources-and-maps/f/understanding-the-opposition [2]


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/documents/understanding-the-opposition-from-a-knox-county-land-owner/


URLs in this post:

[1] documentary: https://www.wind-watch.org/video-blownaway.php

[2] https://nowindfarmhere.com/resources-and-maps/f/understanding-the-opposition: https://nowindfarmhere.com/resources-and-maps/f/understanding-the-opposition