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<p>Stepping inside TapOut Sports Zone Bar and Grill in Boquete, Panama, is like stepping inside suburban America.</p><p>The menu features American staples like cheeseburgers, barbecue chicken sandwiches, and Philly cheesesteaks. Flat-screen TVs sit above the bar, airing the latest game. On Friday nights, you might catch a band performing hits like "Take It Easy" by the Eagles. On Mondays, locals stop by for karaoke and $1 beers.</p><p>I visited TapOut in April — not for the bacon-wrapped shrimp but to see the Boquete Community Players, a theater group that hosts shows in the back room of the restaurant. On a Saturday afternoon, the small room was bustling with a dozen Americans preparing for an upcoming performance.</p><p>As they debated curtain colors and stage lighting, a waiter dropped off a round of piña coladas. Another passed by with two bottles of Panama Light beer. Since arriving at TapOut, it was the first reminder that I was far from the heart of America.</p><div type="image" title="TapOut Sports Zone in Boquete, Panama." height="1365" width="2048" msid="112650986" hostid="261" sizebytes="494876"></div><p>Seeing Americans — especially those around retirement age — is standard in Boquete. The town's year-round cool temperatures and the affordable cost of living have earned it recognition for being one of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-ten-countries-for-a-comfortable-retirement-2023-9">best places to retire</a>.</p><p>While some people moved because <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-moving-abroad-cost-of-living-too-expensive-debt-retirement-2024-4">retiring in the US was too expensive</a> — if not impossible — others told me they came to avoid America's divisive political climate. Regardless of why they ended up in Boquete, the town has changed drastically in the past two decades because of retirees, and the influx doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.</p><h2>Boquete wasn't always a retiree's paradise</h2><p>Founded in 1911, Boquete remained a quiet town for decades. The region was known for its coffee plantations and an annual flower festival. Beyond beans and blooms, Panamanians were lured to Boquete for its comfortable weather.</p><p>Situated about 4,000 feet above sea level, Boquete's temperatures hover around 70 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. The town has long been a weekend escape for Panamanians living in nearby cities like David, where temperatures can reach the 90s.</p><p>Thalia Velasquez, who grew up in David, remembers begging her mom to take her to Boquete every weekend.</p><p>"Boquete, at the time, was a very, very simple, little town," Velasquez told me about her childhood visits there. "The stores would close by 4 p.m. The bakery would close by 5 or 6 p.m., maybe even earlier. There were very few cars in town. A lot of people still rode their horses."</p><p>Landreth Laws, who owns <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/iwannaboquete/">Iwanna Boquete Tours</a>, has similar memories from growing up in Boquete.</p><div type="image" title="A view of Boquete, Panama." height="1536" width="2048" msid="112650990" hostid="261" sizebytes="253526"></div><p>The 42-year-old said the town's busiest time was during an annual flower festival. He remembers his family home teeming with people. There weren't enough hotels in town to accommodate visitors in the '80s and '90s. Back then, there were few tourists and even fewer foreign retirees.</p><p>In the 1990s, Velasquez took her partner at the time, Samuel Walker Taliaferro, on a tour of Panama. They stopped in Boquete, and Taliaferro, an American inventor, engineer, and investor, fell in love with the town.</p><p>They moved to Boquete, along with Velasquez's two children, and the couple opened a real-estate business, bought land, and spent their days riding horses.</p><p>During one ride, Taliaferro took her Velasquez to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.valleescondidoboquete.com/">Valle Escondido</a>, a former coffee plantation and "the most beautiful place in the valley," Velasquez said. The couple bought the land, and Taliaferro eventually transformed it into a $100 million residential resort community.</p>          <p>The property opened in 2003, with a chapel, café, restaurant, hotel, and 150 condominiums. Taliaferro set out to promote both his property and Boquete as a retirement haven. He worked with International Living magazine to advertise the destination, and retirees arrived with suitcases in tow.</p><p>It helped when AARP named Boquete the No. 1 foreign retirement destination in the Western Hemisphere. In 2005, <a target="_blank" href="https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2005/07/11/8265242/index.htm">Fortune Magazine</a> featured the town as an idyllic place to retire.</p><p>"Taliaferro sold Boquete like a new destination, like it was one of the most beautiful places to retire," Laws, who worked for Taliaferro as a bartender in 2003, said. "He pushed Boquete to be the best."</p><p>Velasquez said she initially feared backlash from locals and admitted some people were upset by the town's quick change. Others saw it as an opportunity to create their own businesses with the influx of new residents and visitors.</p><p>In 2000, Boquete was home to 17,000 people, according to<a target="_blank" href="https://www.citypopulation.de/en/panama/admin/chiriqu%C3%AD/0404__boquete/"> City Population</a>. By 2023, the town ballooned to 23,500 residents. <a target="_blank" href="https://internationalliving.com/building-a-better-life-on-2500-a-month-in-boquete/">International Living</a> said 5,000, or about a fifth of the population, are expats.</p><div type="image" title="A billboard advertising one of dozens of new projects being developed in the highlands of Panama in 2008." height="702" width="1024" msid="112650994" hostid="261" sizebytes="163818"></div><h2>Thousands of expats now call Boquete home</h2><p>As I hopscotched between Boquete's roads and uneven sidewalks, I saw the beauty and change Laws and Velasquez described.</p><p>The small town sits at the bottom of a valley where the outline of mountains can be spotted in every direction. It's one of the greenest places I've visited: tropical flowers fill gardens outside family-owned restaurants, and massive palm fronds reach toward the sky.</p><p>Between green landscapes, I also saw foreign retirees' influence on Boquete. I doubted the sandwich shop Holy Cow Boquete or Panama Barcade existed when Laws grew up. Traffic sometimes clogged the main street. Signs hung in the library advertising an upcoming talk on cybersecurity and another discussion on wills — topics seemingly fit for an older generation.</p><p>Boquete is still a small Panamanian town. Walmarts and McDonalds have yet to reach the serene valley and Spanish was the language I heard most. But walk down any street, and older Americans are impossible to miss. They're also eager to share how they ended up in Boquete.</p><p>Jackie Lange, 70, moved to the town in 2010 to escape the Texas heat.</p><p>Kelle Sparta, 54, and her husband, Jeff Brandon, arrived in Boquete in 2022, citing tension and high stress levels from America's political climate.</p><p>Mike Hill was ready to retire, but early retirement in California was out of reach. Faced with working until his full Social Security hit at 67, Hill and his wife decided to relocate somewhere cheaper in 2018.</p><div type="image" title="TapOut Sports Zone in Boquete, Panama." height="1536" width="2048" msid="112650984" hostid="261" sizebytes="583986"></div><p>Each expat I spoke with had a different reason for the initial push to move to Boquete, but they all mentioned similar motives for staying. Mild temperatures, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-cost-of-living-what-is-middle-class-housing-market-2024-4">cost of living is cheaper</a>, healthcare is affordable, the economy uses the US dollar, no one talks about politics, and you can get by only speaking English.</p><p>Boquete is also home to tour companies showing off the technicolor landscape, grocery stores, and nearby hospitals.</p><p>Lange owns one of those companies, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://panamarelocationtours.com/">Panama Relocation Tours</a>, which takes groups to meet with immigration lawyers to discuss visa options. For many retirees, getting residency in Panama is easy with the pensionado visa, which requires proof of income or a pension of $1,000 a month and an additional $250 for each dependant.</p><p>While $1,000 is required, realistically, retirees can comfortably live in Boquete for $1,400 a month as an individual or $2,000 as a couple, Lange said.</p><p>That's drastically less than the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-states-to-retire-in-cost-of-living-comfortably-2023-10"> cheapest US state for retirement</a>. A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gobankingrates.com/retirement/planning/how-much-a-comfortable-retirement-will-cost-you-in-each-state/">June analysis by GOBankingRates</a> found that Mississippi had the lowest cost for a comfortable retirement at $62,154 annually, or $5,180 a month. Meanwhile, Americans living in places like California and New York need closer to $100,000 a year for retirement.</p><div type="image" title="A group of ex-pats meeting up through Panama Relocation Tours." height="1536" width="2048" msid="112650997" hostid="261" sizebytes="272700"></div><p>Lange estimates that her team helps about 100 people move to Panama monthly. And it's not just Boquete, Panama City and the San Carlos area are also popular retiree destinations in the country.</p><h2>Cheap living is not so cheap anymore</h2><p>Dagmar Rios grew up taking family trips to Boquete. "At that time, it was more simple," she told me.</p><p>After studying and working in Panama City, Rios, 34, moved to Boquete in 2018. She bought a house and eventually opened her own dentist's office.</p><p>Boquete is drastically different from Rios' childhood memories, but she said she's also seen many changes in the town in the six years she's lived there.</p><p>"Now, there are more supermarkets. Now, there are more restaurants and hotels," she said.</p><p>With these changes, Rios said costs have increased. A few years ago, a person could afford a house with a monthly salary of $600. Rios said her employees tell her that's no longer possible.</p><p>Instead, houses are more expensive, targeting foreign buyers with larger budgets.</p><div type="image" title="A view of Boquete, Panama." height="1536" width="2048" msid="112651003" hostid="261" sizebytes="362590"></div><p>Jason Cohen, the CEO and owner of the Boquete realty company <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.casasolution.com/">Casa Solution</a>, said a decade ago, homes in Boquete were priced between $150,000 and $500,000. Today, properties range from $200,000 to $2,000,000.</p><p>"As Boquete gained international recognition, and with baby boomers approaching retirement, the allure of living in a foreign country grew," Cohen added. "This, coupled with Panama's economic expansion, led to a dramatic surge in prices from 2002 to 2006."</p><p>Panamanians feel these rising costs the most, but some of Boquete's long-term expats also mentioned that the town has become more expensive.</p><p>Gabrielle Reynolds, who has lived in Boquete for nine years, told me drinks cost $3 at a popular restaurant two summers ago. Last year, prices went up to $7.</p><p>It's still cheaper than a cocktail back home in Los Angeles, she added.</p><p>"In LA, people are telling me it's $20 a drink," she said. "I'd have to give up martinis, and don't ask me to do that."</p><p>As the owner of three restaurants in Boquete, Chris Young said he's had to balance increasing costs, pleasing customers, and avoiding pricing out Panamanians.</p><div type="image" title="A view of Boquete, Panama." height="1365" width="1820" msid="112650988" hostid="261" sizebytes="356148"></div><p>Young moved from the US about 15 years ago and arrived in Boquete with a restaurant background.</p><p>"When I got here, there were maybe five restaurants,'" he said. "Now, there's a hundred."</p><p>After bouncing around regions and jobs, Young and a friend opened <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/bigdaddysgrillboquete/">Big Daddy's Grill</a> in Boquete eight years ago. Since then, Young has opened two more restaurants in the town: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/139559905897345/christophers-american-bistro/">Christopher's American Bistro</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/tapoutboquete/">TapOut Sports Zone</a>.</p><p>For years, Young said he was able to sell meals for cheap. Recently, that has become increasingly difficult.</p><p>While inflation plays a role, he said the country's pensionado discount — a discount on goods and services for retirement-age residents — has impacted profitability in an industry that's hard to stay afloat. At restaurants, older diners get 25% off their bill.</p><p>Young said his menus focus on local, typically inexpensive ingredients to keep food costs low. He's also created a tacaño or "cheap" menu at Big Daddy's Grill to appeal to Panamanians and foreigners.</p><div type="image" title="Jackie Lange with tour guides, Jay and Jolynn." height="1349" width="2024" msid="112650992" hostid="261" sizebytes="168594"></div><p>Young and others said the arrival of the expat community has also positively impacted Boquete. The surge of hotels, restaurants, and businesses means more job opportunities for Panamanians.</p><p>Rios said she's grateful for the tourism and retirement community in Boquete. About 80% of Rios' patients are foreigners, and those patients are partly why her <a target="_blank" href="https://www.odontosmileclinic.com/osc/osc.html">Odonto Smile Clinic</a> has grown from two employees to an office with two doctors, four assistants, and three specialists.</p><p>Before the retirees came, Laws worked in coffee fields, making $5 daily. "I came from the bottom of the bottom," he said.</p><p>Now, Laws runs a successful tour company where he spends his days showing off his beautiful home.</p><p>"I love to live around the retirees. I love business. I love to talk to the tourists," he said. "I want to live the rest of my life in Boquete."</p><h2>Ditching the American rat race</h2><p>The Americans I spoke to also plan to live the rest of their lives in Boquete, and they said it's their job to integrate into the town's community and culture — not the other way around.</p><div type="image" title="A group of expats in Boquete, Panama." height="3024" width="4032" msid="112651004" hostid="261" sizebytes="710648"></div><p>Hill, for example, enrolled in Spanish classes after arriving in Boquete to better communicate with locals. Reynolds, who helps run Boquete Community Players, said she's always searching for ways to include the Panamanian community in the theater group.</p><p>One of the biggest challenges Lange has seen with retirees is shifting from America's intense work culture to Boquete's quiet and relaxed pace.</p><p>"Panama is not right for everybody," Lange said. "Some people, it's too different from what they're used to. There's no Walmart down the street."</p><p>While some struggle with the change of pace, others love it. Christopher Minori, 58, remembers moving to Boquete with his wife, Brandy Minori, in 2021 and being shocked by how friendly and stress-free everyone seemed. It was a complete 180 from his life back in Georgia.</p><p>"It doesn't matter what side of the aisle you're on in the States; half of the country hates the other half," he told me over the phone. "It was, to me, stressful."</p><p>That wasn't the case for Panama. "It's a very, very mellow country, which is actually hard to get used to when you first move," he said.</p><p>Once he accepted small changes — like needing to ask a waiter for more water or understanding that a driver might stop in the middle of the road to chat with a neighbor — he fell in love with the town.</p><p>I heard about Panamians' friendly and carefree attitude from every expat, and I witnessed it during my first afternoon in Boquete. After touring a coffee farm, the owners didn't call me a taxi to my hotel — they drove me there themselves.</p><div type="image" title="The view from Gabrielle Reynolds' front porch." height="924" width="1232" msid="112651001" hostid="261" sizebytes="306260"></div><p>While the expats <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-keep-busy-after-early-retirement-big-tech-employee-2024-3">ditched America's rat race</a>, they said it hasn't led to boredom. Retirees no longer fill their days with work they're unhappy with or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/my-husband-worries-well-run-out-of-money-in-retirement-2024-4">stress over finances</a>. Instead, they've found community and joy in Boquete.</p><p>Sparta, who continues to run a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://kellesparta.com/">business as a spiritual coach</a>, pulled up her calendar to show me events every evening in Boquete. Theater practice, karaoke, bingo, and volunteering pack her schedule.</p><p>Hill, who spends his days fishing, working with the Boquete Community Players, writing novels, learning the saxophone, and volunteering with local schools, agreed. "I'm retired, but I'm busier than ever," he said.</p><p>Reynolds said between their busy days, she and her husband spend each morning sipping coffee and soaking in mountain views from their home. In the evening, she swaps coffee for cocktails and enjoys the sunset.</p><p>"We say this to each other almost every night, "Could it get better?'" she said. "I don't think it could be better than this."</p>

Boquete, Panama, was once a quiet town home to rainforests and coffee farms. Then came the retirees. 

Oklahoma's lax marijuana laws made it a green utopia for the cannabis industry. Then came the mass murder.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jarrell Chalmers and his partner, Jose Diaz, moved to Puerto Rico to escape high rents in Jersey City.</li><li>They work remotely in marketing but have also started a coffee company to support local farms.</li></ul><p><em>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jarrell Chalmers, a 31-year-old marketing consultant in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The following has been edited for length and clarity.</em></p><p>I'm from Jersey City, and my partner, Jose Diaz, is from Hartford, Connecticut. We lived in Jersey City before moving to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-traveling-to-san-juan-puerto-rico">San Juan, Puerto Rico</a>, last April.</p><p>We're both of Puerto Rican origin — my mom and Jose's father were both born in San Juan — and we always knew that we wanted to experience it by living here.</p><p>Although <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bilingual-couple-dating-spanish-language-mistakes-culture-2023-12">our Spanish</a> is a little shaky, it's improving, and integrating on the island has been pretty easy for us. We make it a habit to order our food, greet new people, and talk to our neighbors in Spanish.</p><p>We both work remotely as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/earn-six-figures-digital-marketer-time-travel-snowboard-2023-3">independent marketing contractors</a>. None of our clients mind us living in Puerto Rico.</p><h2><strong>During the pandemic, rents skyrocketed in Jersey City</strong></h2><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jersey-city-real-estate-market-costs-rise-new-yorkers-move-2023-9">Jersey City became super expensive</a> when the pandemic hit, and the quality of life wasn't the same as it used to be. We were working every single day just to make ends meet.</p><p>The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-food-healthcare-housing-cost-most-expensive-us-cities-2024-2">cost of living</a> is one of the main reasons we wanted to move to Puerto Rico. Here, our rent is about $700 cheaper a month. We stayed in an Airbnb for one month before moving and finding our apartment online.</p><p>We loved it when we visited, especially as Puerto Ricans who really love our culture. Not having to deal with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/seasonal-affective-disorder-not-real-2016-2">seasonal depression</a> in New Jersey has also been a bonus.</p><p>Before we moved, we gave away a lot of our furniture. We bought some from Amazon and everything else we sourced locally to support businesses on the island.</p><h2><strong>Rent is cheaper, but groceries are more expensive</strong></h2><div type="image" title="Houses in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico." height="1668" width="2500" msid="108847953" hostid="261" sizebytes="386096"></div><p>Groceries are pricier due to laws like the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/laws-killing-us-economy-prices-inflation-jones-act-foreign-dredge-2022-9">Jones Act</a>, which raises the price of many imports into the island. Farmers' markets can be good value, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/costco-stores-midwest-new-york-city-comparison-2024-1">Costco</a> tends to be a bit cheaper than in New Jersey, but many places to buy groceries here are quite expensive.</p><p>We can still get about 90% of the things we need on Amazon. If we can't get it shipped here, we use a website called <a target="_blank" href="http://Myus.com">Myus.com</a> which ships things over from Florida.</p><h2><strong>The ugly side of relocating is the displacement of locals, but many have welcomed us with open arms</strong></h2><p>In January, I was down with COVID-19, and one of my neighbors dropped off a care package with a ton of medicine, tests, and home remedies. How people have treated us in this city is a big part of why we moved here.</p><p>But when many people move to a place, the rents rise, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zoom-town-inequality-remote-workers-work-from-home-big-cities-2022-4">locals can no longer afford to live there</a>. Rents and house prices have risen considerably in recent years <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/puerto-rico-real-estate-tax-breaks-act-60-pros-cons-2024-2">in Puerto Rico</a>.</p><p>To help combat this, we've been giving back to people on the island in practical ways. We help locals with their résumés and cover letters for free.</p><p>We've grown a following on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@planetofthejays/">TikTok</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/planetofthejays/">Instagram</a>, and we share where we eat, how we save money, grocery hacks, remote working tips, and recipes. We end many of our videos by asking our followers to comment if they need help.</p><p>They then email us their résumés and we tailor them to the jobs that they want. We've also been posting content on how to get remote jobs in Puerto Rico for Puerto Ricans.</p><h2><strong>We started our own coffee brand to promote local farms</strong></h2><p>We decided to start a company doing something that we actually enjoyed and could help us give back to the local area, so we created a coffee brand called <a target="_blank" href="http://planetadecafe.com">Planeta De Cafe</a>.</p><p>The objective is to amplify local farms on the island. For every sale we get, we donate $1 to a nonprofit called Puerto Rico Rise Up that's teaching students how to get more competitive jobs.</p><p>We <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@planetadecafeofficial/video/7333599484926053675?_r=1&amp;_t=8k11otAaGx4">post about our coffee company</a> on our TikTok, too. Our dream is to take our coffee business and content creation full-time.</p><h2><strong>We share some of the negative parts of living here with our audience</strong></h2><p>People grew accustomed to us sharing the beautiful side of the island, so when <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@planetofthejays/video/7325571130750717227">we finally spoke</a> on the dark side of it, I think some people were thrown off. We discussed the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx254soLdzX/">split</a> between native and American-raised Puerto Ricans, the crowded hospitals, and the frequent power outages.</p><p>In some cases, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/things-to-know-before-visiting-san-juan-puerto-rico">tourists come</a> and don't treat the island with care and respect. Since there are those who mistreat the island when they visit, tensions can be high.</p><p>We think it's important to shed light on real issues so more people are encouraged to work on and fix them.</p><h2><strong>Adjusting to the pace of life here has been hard at times, but ultimately rewarding</strong></h2><p>Back in New Jersey, everything's very fast-paced. Over here, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retirees-italy-cheaper-slower-pace-cost-of-living-2024-2">everything's very slow</a>. If you go to a restaurant, it will take 30-40 minutes to get food. You might have to wait a long time for a package or for your WiFi to get installed.</p><p>Things move slowly because people in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/puerto-rico-act-60-tax-breaks-capital-gains-bonafide-resident-2024-3">Puerto Rico</a> live in the moment, and that's what we love about it.</p><p>We miss our family and friends, but they visit often and stay in our spare room. For now, we plan on staying long term.</p><p>We've decided to build a life here. Our families left the island decades ago to find opportunities in the States. They found that opportunity and raised us to be self-sufficient. We're happy to return to our family's roots now that we are.</p>

I moved to Puerto Rico from New Jersey with my partner. Rent is cheaper, the weather is warmer, and we plan to stay.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Russia has been using ships to spy in Nordic waters, a joint investigation by four countries' public broadcasters found.</li><li>They are collecting intel on wind farms, gas pipelines, and power and internet cables, report said.</li></ul><p>Russia is surveying the North Sea to find possible targets that could sabotage the energy infrastructure of Nordic countries, according to a new investigation.</p><p>Targets include wind farms, gas pipelines, and power and internet cables, a joint-report by public broadcasters in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway found. </p><p>Sources told Finland's YLE, Sweden's <a href="https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/27-misstankta-ryska-spionfartyg-i-svenska-vatten-kan-bli-ett-hot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SVT</a>, Denmark's <a href="https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/moerklagt/afsloering-russiske-spionskibe-forbereder-mulig-sabotage-mod" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DR</a>, and Norway's <a href="https://www.nrk.no/nordland/xl/fiskebater-og-andre-fartoy-fra-russland-kan-drive-spionasje-og-etterretning-i-norge-1.16371100" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NRK</a> that Russia is using civilian and military ships to scan the bottom of the sea near the four countries.</p><p>The outlets also tracked dozens of Russian research and fishing ships, and reported that they regularly went key energy infrastructure.</p><p>The head of the Norwegian Intelligence Service, Nils Andreas Stensønes, <a href="https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/moerklagt/afsloering-russiske-spionskibe-forbereder-mulig-sabotage-mod" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told DR</a> that Moscow is directly controlling the effort.</p><p>And Anders Henriksen, the Danish Police Intelligence Service's counterintelligence chief told DR that Russia's ships are ready to act to shut down Danish society if there is conflict between Russia and the West.</p><p>Norway's <a href="https://www.nrk.no/nordland/xl/fiskebater-og-andre-fartoy-fra-russland-kan-drive-spionasje-og-etterretning-i-norge-1.16371100" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NRK</a> reported that at least 50 Russian ships have been involved in intelligence gathering in Nordic waters over the last 10 years, and that some of them have appeared during NATO exercises.</p><p>Sweden's <a href="https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/27-misstankta-ryska-spionfartyg-i-svenska-vatten-kan-bli-ett-hot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SVT reported</a> that 27 Russian spy ships had been seen in Swedish waters, with the Swedish Navy's press officer telling the outlet that the country can't do more than monitor them.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65309687" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC also reported on Wednesday</a> that UK officials are aware of Russian ships moving in UK waters as part of the same effort.</p><p>DR reported that intercepted Russian navy communications showed Russian ships who had turned off their transmitters sailing in Nordic waters. It referred to them as Russian "ghost ships."</p><p>One of the ships, Russian <a href="https://eng.mil.ru/en/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12295616@egNews" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">marine research</a> vessel "Admiral Vladimirsky," sailed near current and future offshore wind farms, and stayed there for a few days, the outlets found. Intelligence sources told DR that the ship also does intelligence work alongside its research.</p><p>The sources said that they think the ship's aim was to get ready to take actions like shutting off the power supply of north-west Europe. Experts also gave the same assessment to DR.</p><p>DR reported that the ship continuously sent radio messages that had its positions to a naval base in Russia.</p><p>DR said that open of its journalists sailed out to near the ship, and saw men with covered faces, including a man wearing a uniform and a bulletproof vest with a Russian military rifle.</p><p>Russia's ambassador to Norway told NRK that any research being done by Russia was properly coordinated through diplomatic channels in accordance with international law.</p><p>The broadcasters revealed the information as part of their new documentary series.</p><p>Many countries bordering Russia have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-neighbors-boost-defenses-beyond-nato-faster-2022-9?r=US&amp;IR=T">stepped up their military spending, increased their military alliances</a>, and have reinforced their borders. </p><p>They have warned that Russia, even as it is bogged down in Ukraine, is a threat and could choose to attack them.</p><p>European countries are also warning about an increased number of spies from Russia.</p><p>This includes Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution claimed that Russian spy levels in the country are now at the same level as they were during the Cold War, according to German outlet <a href="https://www.welt.de/politik/plus244810588/Russland-Putins-Spione-suchen-auf-Tinder-nach-Bundeswehrsoldaten.html?icid=search.product.onsitesearch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Welt am Sonntag</a>.</p>

Russia has a plan to sabotage European wind farms, gas pipelines, and internet cables, report say

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A couple moved from the UK to Portugal to live on an abandoned farm they bought for $103,000.</li><li>John and Tara Newby wanted to build a sustainable, off-grid homestead where they could raise their sons.</li></ul><p>For John and Tara Newby, moving from the UK to Portugal was a happy accident.</p><p>What was meant to be a short holiday in Portugal during the pandemic turned into a month-long stay because of a change in travel rules that prevented them from going home without quarantining.</p><p>With all the extra time on their hands, the couple decided this would be the perfect opportunity for them to look for a house to buy in the countryside.</p><div type="image" title="A man and a woman standing in front of the abandoned farm that they bought in Portugal." height="809" width="1080" msid="102959976" hostid="261"></div><p>"We were looking at a lifestyle that would mean we could get out of the UK, spend more time outside, have a better climate, and space for our children to grow a bit more wild and free," Tara, 35, told Insider.</p><p>They already knew what they wanted: a plot of land that they could turn into a homestead with a house that they could fix up with their own hands.</p><h2>The couple fell in love with the second property they viewed — an abandoned farm set on three acres of land.</h2><p>"We walked through the gates, and John's amazing at seeing potential when other people don't — me included," Tara said. "He was like, 'I think we could make this work.' And that was it really."</p><div type="image" title="An aerial view of the abandoned farm and the buildings that sit on the land. The main house and a second building is visible, while a third, shorter building is hidden by the trees." height="809" width="1080" msid="102959977" hostid="261"></div><p>The property is located just outside of a small town called Amarante — about 220 miles north of Lisbon — in northern Portugal, and it came with three small stone buildings.</p><p>The couple — who were living and traveling around in a van at that time — bought the farm for 95,000 euros, or about $103,000.</p><h2>It took them a long time to decide what they were going to do with the property.</h2><p>"The first idea was a lifestyle business or a holiday home. We also thought about moving permanently, and when we came back out here, we fell in love with it more and more the longer we spent here," Tara said.</p><p>Eventually, they decided they wanted to build a sustainable, off-grid homestead where they could raise their children. At that point in time, the couple already had their first son Crusoe, and Tara was pregnant with their second child, Sawyer.</p><div type="image" title="A man, a woman, and their two children posing for a family selfie." height="951" width="1268" msid="102959978" hostid="261"></div><p>"We wanted a life where they would have enough space to be outside a lot to explore, learn, and grow," she said.</p><h2>But there was also a financial aspect in their decision to invest in the property.</h2><p>The couple sold their house in England when they became van-lifers during the pandemic.</p><p>"Prices over the last few years in Bristol had been going quite crazy, so we had a bunch of equity in that property that's enough to buy the farm here," John, 45, told Insider.</p><div type="image" title="The exterior of the main house building before renovation." height="1581" width="2109" msid="102959979" hostid="261"></div><p>But the money was in a bank account, and the interest rates were low back then, he said.</p><p>"It wasn't doing anything for us," John added. "And then we came to Portugal and we thought, well, why not just buy a house here with the money that we've got in the bank?"</p><h2>The process of buying a home in Portugal is fairly straightforward, John says.</h2><p>The couple employed a solicitor to assist them with the legal aspect of things and also to check that the property had all of the certifications required for renovations.</p><p>"So Portugal's got a whole bunch of laws to do with the planning commission, and whether or not you can update properties," John said.</p><h2><div type="image" title="Some of the buildings on the farm." height="1550" width="2067" msid="102959980" hostid="261"></div></h2><p>While there are many abandoned properties available for sale in the country, not all of them have the necessary paperwork required for buyers to apply for habitation or renovation permits, he added.</p><p>Property buyers also need a taxpayer identification number, or <a href="https://eportugal.gov.pt/en/servicos/pedir-o-numero-de-identificacao-fiscal-para-pessoa-singular#:~:text=The%20taxpayer%20identification%20number%20or,%2C%20opening%20bank%20accounts%2C%20etc.">NIF number</a>, before they can enter a contract, John said.</p><p>"You need to make sure that you can prove where your finances come from, so that there are no money laundering questions," he said.</p><p>The couple moved to the farm in May 2022.</p><h2>Although no one had lived on the property for over 20 years, everything looked like it had been left the way it was on the day the farm was abandoned.</h2><div type="image" title="The previous owners left a lot of furniture and items behind." height="1577" width="2102" msid="102959981" hostid="261"></div><p>After the Newbys moved in, the first thing they had to do was clear out all the items that the previous occupants had left behind.</p><p>"It literally looked like someone had walked out the door on your average Tuesday and just never came back," Tara said. "There were biscuits in the cupboards, there were clothes in the cupboards, the beds were made up." </p><div type="image" title="Cobwebs and dust covered every inch of the rooms inside the three buildings." height="1578" width="2104" msid="102959982" hostid="261"></div><p>She added that they spent about 10 days emptying all the rooms and giving the space a good clean.</p><p>"There was a lot to clear out, a lot to sort through. There were a lot of spiderwebs and dust covering every surface of the home," she added.</p><h2>Once the cleaning was done, the couple moved on to clearing the land so that they could start growing their own fruit and vegetables.</h2><div type="image" title="The exterior of the tiny house before renovation." height="572" width="763" msid="102959983" hostid="261"></div><p>Outside, nature had completely taken over large sections of their property, hiding outdoor stone tables and old staircases that the couple didn't even know existed.</p><p>It was around this time when the couple started to get to know their Portuguese neighbors, and some of them even chipped in to help the couple with their project.</p><div type="image" title="The tiny house before renovation." height="576" width="768" msid="102959984" hostid="261"></div><p>"We are so lucky with our neighbors who've just welcomed us with open arms," Tara said. "Our Portuguese neighbors are unbelievably generous with their warmth, their time, and their advice."</p><p>Their neighbors have also stepped in to help the couple navigate administrative matters.</p><p>"If we've needed to get certain bits of paperwork, they've been able to help us with that, because where we live, very few people speak English," she added. "They've literally scooped us up. They've helped us with all the things that would make living here really difficult." </p><h2>The couple worked on the property for three months, before they returned to the UK to prepare for the birth of their second son, Sawyer. </h2><div type="image" title="The exterior of the main house during renovation." height="753" width="1004" msid="102959985" hostid="261"></div><p>Tara gave birth to Sawyer in September 2022, and the family of four returned to Portugal just a month later. They've been at the property ever since.</p><p>Once they returned, the couple ramped up their renovation progress — and their house started to take shape.</p><div type="image" title="The interior of the first floor of the house during renovation." height="575" width="766" msid="102959986" hostid="261"></div><p>In the main house, the couple turned the first floor into a cozy, open-plan living room and kitchen space. Upstairs, the four of them sleep together in a single bedroom.</p><p>Some of the furniture and decor they have in their house is made from upcycled items, including a wooden table that John crafted from an old wine press they found on the property.</p><h2>One of the couple's goals is to live a self-sufficient and sustainable lifestyle, and that includes going off-grid and growing their own food.</h2><div type="image" title="A photo of the first floor of the house after renovation. The space has been transformed into a cozy living room and open-concept kitchen space." height="572" width="765" msid="102959987" hostid="261"></div><p>The couple has an off-grid water system as well as freshwater flowing into their property from a stream. </p><p>Although the farm draws electricity from the grid, the family does rely on solar energy as well. They are still in the midst of evaluating whether they should take their electricity completely off-grid in the future.</p><p>"Portugal actually has got really good renewable energy as part of the national grid. I think for a couple of months this year, a hundred percent of the electricity of the country has been supplied entirely by renewables," John said.</p><div type="image" title="One of the couple's sons, Crusoe, standing next to a solar power setup." height="809" width="1080" msid="102959988" hostid="261"></div> That, by extension, also means that electricity prices in the country are generally pretty good, he said.<p>"We are weighing that opportunity cost of whether it's important for us to go completely off-grid individually, or whether the Portuguese government's doing a good enough job with the renewables," he added.</p><h2>The Newbys have been documenting every step of their Portuguese farm renovation on their YouTube channel. </h2><div type="image" title="The living room." height="1550" width="2067" msid="102960032" hostid="261"></div><p>The couple's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheNewbys">YouTube channel</a> started back in 2020 when they were still living in the UK, and it was a way for them to keep in touch with family members overseas.</p><p>"It was just a hobby at first. We started off by posting a couple of videos for Tara's parents, who were in Zimbabwe, to kind of keep them in the loop," John said.</p><p>Before the pandemic, John and Tara had been working together at a travel agency and had a few exciting trips planned.</p><p>"Work was going to take us to Tanzania to see some chimpanzees. Then we were off to Antarctica to get married, and we were going to do some other bits of travel," John said. "So we thought, you know what? We should just start filming it and putting together these compilations of travel videos."</p><div type="image" title="The bedroom is on the second floor of the main house. The entire family sleeps in the same room." height="1550" width="2067" msid="102960033" hostid="261"></div><p>But as it happened, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the couple ended up quitting their jobs to travel around Europe in a van instead.</p><p>They filmed their lives on the road, and when they finally settled down on the Portuguese farm, they filmed that process too.</p><h2>But now, creating content for their YouTube channel has become their full-time job — in addition to being parents and renovating the home.</h2><div type="image" title="The renovated tiny house is now an office space." height="572" width="763" msid="102960034" hostid="261"></div><p>"We essentially have three full-time jobs. We are full-time parents, our kids don't go to nursery or anything. Then we have our full-time YouTube business, making content. And we are full-time renovators trying to create a homestead at the same time," Tara said.</p><p>Even though they love this lifestyle, the couple admits that the biggest challenge is managing their time.</p><p>"Trying to make all of those things marry up and work together is hard, especially because it's usually dictated by two very small people who need us all the time," she added.</p><h2>The couple releases two YouTube videos every week, and each video takes three days to film and edit.</h2><div type="image" title="The bedroom area in the main house." height="575" width="766" msid="102960035" hostid="261"></div><p> To <a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72857?hl=en">monetize their YouTube channel</a>, they had to have a thousand subscribers and 4,000 watch hours, John said. </p><p>"So it took us about half a year to do that, to get 1,000 subscribers. And then at the end of the first year, we were at about 7,000 or 8,000 subscribers," John said.</p><p>Now, their channel has over 144,000 subscribers, and their <a href="https://youtu.be/5fOGrWG52hg">most popular video</a> has been viewed over 1.5 million times.</p><p>"Alongside that, of course, we've got our Patreon accounts so we need to service that, and we are also working to get brand sponsorships," John added.</p><h2>For those who are looking to buy a home in Portugal, the couple has some advice: Use local property websites, even though they're written in Portuguese.</h2><div type="image" title="The tiny house doubles as a guest room and a home office." height="1550" width="2067" msid="102960036" hostid="261"></div><p>"There are a whole bunch of English websites out there that will sometimes charge a premium on a property because they're written in English," John said.</p><p>Instead, the couple suggests browsing listings on local real-estate websites like <a href="https://www.imovirtual.com/">Imovirtual</a>.</p><p>"There are a couple of local Portuguese websites that Google does a really great job of translating now. So if you're going to one of these local websites you'll get the local prices," he added.</p><h2>Although moving to a new country with two small kids in tow can be a daunting experience, the couple has no regrets about their decision.</h2><p>"For me, a real thing about Portugal is that the people are incredible and they're so family-oriented. It's a really different feel from the UK and from other places in the world, and it's something that we really love about being here," Tara said.</p><p>Even though each day has its own challenges — be it a renovation problem or the stress of raising two young children alone in a foreign country — the couple says they're glad to be able to have this lifestyle.</p><p>"Everything that we had expected and hoped for is happening. Like, it's perfect," John said. "We've got loads of space for our kids to grow, we're growing our own food, we're enjoying our days — there's no disappointment."</p>

A couple bought an abandoned farm in Portugal for $103,000 and turned it into an off-the-grid homestead where they're raising 2 small kids &mdash; see how they did it

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A Florida GOP lawmaker said the anti-immigration law he backed was supposed to tell new immigrants to "stay out."</li><li>But now migrant families are fleeing the state, and it's a "big problem" for farmers and tourism, Rep. Rick Roth said.</li></ul><p>A Florida GOP lawmaker said he still supports a strict anti-immigration law he backed earlier this year — but now fears the new legislation could be causing a "major problem" as migrants flee the state.</p><p>"The bill has a lot of negative consequences that I'm trying to mitigate," Florida Rep. Rick Roth told Insider. "The bill has a lot of positive consequences, which I believe was the main purpose of the bill, which is to keep people from moving to Florida that are undocumented."</p><p>Roth spoke to Insider after he and fellow Republican state legislators Alina Garcia and Juan Fernandez Barquin held a meeting about the new law — <a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1718/BillText/er/PDF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FL Law SB1718</a>, which takes effect next month — in Hialeah, Florida, on Monday morning, according to an advertisement for it shared on <a href="https://twitter.com/tomaskenn/status/1664683433228894233" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter by activist Thomas Kennedy</a>.</p><p>During the meeting, Roth told constituents that migrants have started moving to Georgia and other states.</p><p>"The negatives is there are families leaving Florida right now where some of them work, some of the family members are legal, and some of them are not," he added to Insider. "But they're all deciding that they're not going to split up and live in two different states. So it's going to be a major problem for the agriculture, construction, and tourism, which just about happens to be most jobs in Florida."</p><p>Some farm workers are too scared to go to work because they're worried about the crackdown on illegal immigration, <a href="https://www.wptv.com/news/palm-beach-county/floridas-new-immigration-law-creates-panic-in-agriculture-community">WPTV reported</a>. <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/migrants-on-fence-about-leaving-afraid-of-what-might-happen-if-they-stay/">CBS News reported</a> that undocumented immigrants, including construction workers, are leaving Florida for other states.</p><p>During Monday's meeting, Roth called the law "more of a political bill than it is policy."</p><p>"It does give more police state powers going forward to deal with immigration, but still this is mainly a political bill," he said, <a href="https://newrepublic.com/post/173247/florida-republicans-admit-made-big-mistake-anti-immigrant-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to The New Republic</a>.</p><p>Garcia, meanwhile, said the bill was meant to "scare people" from traveling to Florida but added that it "really doesn't have any teeth," <a href="https://twitter.com/tomaskenn/status/1665730038950445056" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to another video shared by Kennedy</a>.</p><p>"We need to have immigration that is legal," she said.</p><p>Roth told Insider that the bill came straight from Gov. Ron DeSantis and said legislators "couldn't amend it."</p><p>"It was take it or leave it," Roth said. "So most people decided in the legislature that we are totally upset with the chaos coming across the southern border" and voted for it.</p><p>Roth said that after urging migrant families to stay in Florida, he still supports the bill.</p><p>"I don't want people coming to my communities that are not going to be able to get a job and are going to be putting pressure on housing and all kinds of other services when they're not going to be able to get a job," he told Insider. "So the bill has a good purpose, which is, 'Stay away from Florida.'"</p><p>Garcia and Fernandez Barquin did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.</p><p>DeSantis carried out a bill signing on legislation to create a "Digital Bill of Rights" on Tuesday, but he left without taking questions.</p><p>DeSantis spokesperson Jeremy Redfern said in a statement to Insider: "The Florida Legislature does not pass, nor does the governor sign, simple press releases meant to posture. We are grateful that the legislature got this bill to the governor's desk for his signature."</p><p>"This bill has teeth, and businesses that knowingly hire illegal aliens over Floridians are putting their licenses in jeopardy," he added. "We encourage business owners not to roll the dice and test the governor's commitment to uphold the law."</p><p>Andres Malave, a spokesperson for Florida's Speaker of the Florida House, Rep Paul Renner, said the legislation was a "direct response to the failures of the Federal Government to protect our citizens."</p><p>"Even more appalling is the concerted effort by liberal activists to gaslight the immigrant community by feeding them a heavy dose of lies by misrepresenting what is actually in the bill," Malave said.</p><p><em>Update June 6, 2023: This story was updated to include comments from Ron DeSantis' spokesperson and the spokesperson for Florida's Speaker of the House that were sent after this article's publication.</em></p>

Florida GOP lawmaker says the anti-immigration law he backed is causing a 'major problem' as migrant families are leaving the state

The 'world's coolest dictator' rounded up 60,000 people in a supposed crackdown on MS-13. A shrimp farming community is fighting back.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>As <keyword id="74973" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Cold-weather">cold weather</keyword> continues to batter the South, some farms are bringing their livestock indoors.</li><li>Twitter users shared pictures of some of the <keyword id="4730868" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="farm-animals">farm animals</keyword> they brought inside. </li><li>In many cases, animal owners are also struggling without heat and power inside their homes.</li></ul><p>Small farms and animal rescues across the Southern United States have begun bringing their livestock and farm animals into their homes in order to save them from the <a href="https://www.insider.com/us-power-outages-winter-storm-temperatures-maps-stats-2021-2">piercing cold</a>. </p><p>While many large-scale farms are well equipped with adequate shelters, food, and heating supplies for their animals, smaller farms and independent owners are struggling to ensure that animals stay alive. </p><p>One Twitter user shared a photo of a tent she said her friend's chickens were sleeping inside. </p><p>Blue Heron Farm, a dairy farm in the Houston area, posted an image of one of their goats hanging out in a mudroom with a farm cat. </p><p>And here, a cow hangs out by the fire. </p><p>The owner of Tiny Hooves Rescue and Petting Zoo in Temple, <keyword id="15710" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="texas">Texas</keyword>, shared a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tinyhoovespettingzoo">TikTok</a> video of her living room, where a coterie of pigs and goats were hanging out in front of a fire. </p><p>"We're not doing well, we're really not," Shelby Michalewicz said. She added that her house had been without power for three days.  </p> <p>A Twitter user in Tennessee brought her duck into her family's bathroom.</p><p>And another person posted a photo of their mother's car filled to the brim with sea turtles. The cold snap is dangerous to the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/pais/learn/nature/cold-stunned-sea-turtles.htm">local turtle population</a> in south Texas, as the turtles become numb and lose consciousness if water temperatures drop below 50°F. </p><p>People dealing with the cold snap are encouraged to bring their animals indoors, and if that's not possible, to make sure that they have adequate food, shelter, and water (those living in the extreme cold <a href="https://twitter.com/emfoxhall/status/1361721750933954565">should check</a> to make sure that water doesn't freeze.)</p><p><a href="https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/spca-of-texas-advises-north-texans-about-cold-weather-safety-for-pets/2550612/">It is illegal to leave a pet outside in the cold in Texas</a>, though the law is less clear on livestock and farm animals. In 2016, more than <a href="https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/texas/article/20K-cattle-freeze-to-death-in-freak-Texas-blizzard-6738249.php">20,000 cattle</a> froze to death during a freak blizzard in the Texas panhandle. </p>

It's so cold in the South that families are bringing their farm animals inside

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The COVID-19 <keyword id="43587" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="pandemic">pandemic</keyword> has exposed the fragile nature of America's meat <keyword id="118965" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Supply-chain">supply chain</keyword> as tens of thousands of <keyword id="2143250" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="meat-industry">meat industry</keyword> workers fell sick, and hundreds died.</li><li>Small-scale <keyword id="606670" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="farms">farms</keyword> have seen a huge spike in demand as consumers search for alternative meat sources.</li><li>Right now, 80% of the US beef market is controlled by four huge meat producers, and they're the target of a Justice Department antitrust investigation.</li></ul><p>The coronavirus is already having a massive impact on the way Americans get their meat — and even bigger changes could be coming in the future.</p><p>And while four giant meat companies control 80% of the United States beef market, it's small, mom-and-pop meat processors that are looking to benefit the most.</p><p>Since the pandemic began, COVID-19 has <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2020/06/06/meatpacking-plants-cant-shake-covid-19-cases-despite-trump-order/3137400001/">made more than 40,000 meat industry workers sick</a>, killed more than 200, and led to shutdowns of major factories and shortages at grocery stores, exposing the fragile nature of America's meat supply chain.</p><p>In early May, the US Justice Department launched an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/11-attorneys-general-seek-probe-into-meatpacking-industry-2020-5">antitrust investigation into the four biggest meat companies</a> —Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef. In addition to controlling the market by their sheer size, these companies have also been accused of price-fixing and collusion in several civil lawsuits.</p><p>At the same time, small-scale meat processors in the US have seen a huge spike in demand as consumers search for alternative meat sources.</p><p>"Small and very small slaughter facilities are being out-competed by the large companies. And a large section of the industry has the very deep pockets — they can out lobby the small side," Michael Fisher, a retired inspector with the US Department of Agriculture, told Business Insider Weekly.</p><p>"That's sort of reality. But COVID shined a light on the downside of that reality."</p><p>At one collective of farmers, the Grass Roots Farmers' Cooperative, meat sales have more than doubled since the start of the pandemic.</p><p>Farmers in the co-op get their animals slaughtered at the Cypress Valley Meat Company in rural Arkansas and then sell to consumers online.</p><p>Husband-and-wife founders Cody Hopkins and Andrea Todt created Grass Roots' business model because the big slaughter companies process so many animals that they're able to lower prices in their favor, making it very hard on independent farmers.</p><p>"We've really lost most of the mid-scale players," said Rebecca Thistlethwaite, director of Oregon State University's <a href="https://www.nichemeatprocessing.org/">Niche Meat Processor Alliance Network</a>. "And so we're left with a system that is kind of the tiny artisan producers and processors with premium quality and expensive meat and, you know, sort of the inexpensive, cheap, mass-produced meat."</p><h2>The US has challenged its most powerful meat companies before.</h2><div type="image" title="5ee8ec39aee6a876e00b0bf4" height="731" width="1300" msid="79161547" hostid="261"></div><p>The Justice Department's investigation launched in May is not the first time the government has challenged America's most powerful beef companies.</p><p>In the aftermath of World War I, five companies controlled the American meat supply chain by owning feedlots, railcars and railyards, stockyards and slaughterhouses, refrigeration plants and distribution centers.</p><p>Also like today, there were concerns about price-fixing, leading President Woodrow Wilson to order an antitrust investigation. The <a href="https://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre1925053000">1920 Packers' Consent Decree</a> broke up the five companies' grip on the supply chain and made room for independent ranchers and rural slaughterhouses to flourish for nearly 50 years. </p><p>But it wouldn't stay that way. In 1967, one of the biggest companies at the time, Iowa Beef Packers, introduced "boxed beef." Instead of just slaughtering cows and sending them on to grocery stores, the business started cutting and vacuum-packaging the meat right at the slaughterhouse.</p><p>Grocery stores and consumers loved the convenience, and by the late 1970s, it had become the industry standard. It was also the beginning of a reconsolidation in the industry. </p><p>Big packers started making big money, buying up the smaller outfits and building even bigger plants staffed with unskilled workers standing closely together on assembly lines. Skilled butchers were no longer needed. </p><p>The meat packers had spent decades challenging the 1920 law that protected smaller producer until it was overturned in 1981.</p><p>Hopkins and Todt, the Grass Roots founders, were just children then, but the jobs they ultimately chose had largely disappeared by the time they grew up. </p><p>"There was a mentality, and there still is, of get bigger, get out of agriculture," Hopkins told Business Insider Weekly. "And so farmers like myself or other farmers around the country have gone out and created our own market."</p><h2>Small farmers gained ground as beef prices soared earlier this year.</h2><div type="image" title="5ee8ec183f737012291fdb04" height="731" width="1300" msid="79161553" hostid="261"></div>As the coronavirus spread across the United States in the spring, and large processing plants became short-staffed, beef prices at grocery stores soared. In April, ground beef prices were 10% higher than they were a year earlier, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/05/20/food-prices-soar-coronavirus-covid-19/5226969002/">according to Labor Department statistics</a>.<p>Meanwhile, prices for live cattle dropped around the same time, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/justice-department-issues-subpoenas-to-beef-processing-giants-11591371745">according to the Wall Street Journal</a>.</p><p>A group of state attorneys general didn't think the price drop was just because of slowdowns at the big plants. They asked President Donald Trump to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/11-attorneys-general-seek-probe-into-meatpacking-industry-2020-5">start the Justice Department antitrust investigation</a> that is now underway, calling for "regulatory strategies … to promote competition, address market manipulation and protect consumers."</p><p>That means keeping cattle and beef prices fair and steady, making it easier for small slaughter companies to open up shop and keeping the big ones from buying them out.</p><p>At nearly $10 a pound, grass-fed ground beef produced by Grassroots sells for about twice as much as grain-fed beef at a major grocery store. That makes it unaffordable for many customers. Hopkins said the higher prices are because they spend more on farmer wages, environmental costs, welfare costs, and other factors.</p><p>As long as American consumers demand cheap meat that's available year-round, there will always be a need for large meat producers, Thistlethwaite said.</p><p>"But it's quite possible that the American consumer could change their tastes, just as they've moved from wanting to buy gigantic cars, you know. They're increasingly moving to smaller cars and electric cars."</p><p>But still, on principle, Cody is wary of his business growing too big.</p><p>"I'm not sure what I would do if Jeff Bezos called me," he said, laughing. "It's a slippery slope. We feel … pretty strong about keeping that direct connection with our customers."</p>

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