President Talks Immigration & Lone Wolf No More

President Talks Immigration & Lone Wolf No More plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

Oregon's lone wolf, OR-7 may have a mate. According to a report in the Oregonian, remote cameras have captured images of a black female in the same areas as OR-7. OR-7 has been on the move in recent years searching for new territory and a mate to start a new pack with. The images were captured as part of an on-going wolf monitoring system. The report says that the two wolves have never been in the same shot but they have passed the camera not long after each other, indicating they are aware of each other. If the two have produced offspring, they would be the first wolves known to breed in the Oregon Cascades since the early 20th century.

President Obama spoke to a gathering of law enforcement officials yesterday and his message was about the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

OBAMA: The immigration system that we have right now makes it harder, not easier, for law enforcement agencies to do their jobs.  It makes it harder for law enforcement to know when dangerous people cross our borders.  It makes it harder for business owners who play by the rules to compete when they're undercut by those who would exploit workers in a shadow economy. And it makes it harder for law enforcement to do their jobs when large segments of the community are afraid to report crimes or serve as witnesses because they fear the consequences for themselves or their families.

Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray.

Barbecue lovers will be tested of their true devotion to grilling meat this summer as meat prices will definitely cost more this year. Beef is a prime example, with prices for that favorite grilling meat having gone up 2% since February, and up nearly 8% over last year's prices. The extreme drought across a large portion of the country is to blame as cattle producers have had to thin their herds due to high feed costs. In fact, according to the USDA the country's cattle herd is the smallest it's been since the 1950's. And USDA economist, Ricky Volpe, says that "it's going to get worse before it gets better for consumers". Pork lovers have their own price woes this year as well with pork prices up nearly 6% over last year. That's due in part to increased consumer demand because of high beef prices, but with the onslaught of a new virus that has killed million of young pigs pork prices may go even higher. Chicken prices haven't risen nearly as noticeably, but they have increased roughly 3% over last year's prices and are expected to go up even more due to consumer demand. No doubt, dyed in the wool grilling enthusiasts will be getting very creative when it comes to their barbecue choices this year.

Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.