05/04/05 Beef oriented trip; Still field burning

There were no major announcements coming from a U.S.D.A. trade team after last week's visits to Japan and South Korea. The hope was that one or both nations may announce that they were reopening their markets to American beef banned since December 2003. But U.S.D.A. Deputy Secretary Chuck Lambert, who headed this latest delegation, said their goal in Japan was to educate consumers that U.S. beef and beef products are safe and wholesome. Some more significant progress was made in South Korea, as several Korean technical teams made up of government officials and consumers will visit the U.S. for the next several weeks, culminating in a series of technical talks next month between the two nations on reopening the Korean market to our beef. Field burning will continue in North Idaho for now. That is because a lower court ruling allowing the practice to continue will be allowed to stand, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of the lower court decision. That ruling said burning straw left on bluegrass seed fields is part of a grower's process to prepare the land for the next crop, and therefore, is not subject to federal solid waste disposal laws. Word is this appears to be a record year for the Northwest cherry crop in terms of volume. However, Northwest Cherries officials caution that weather and frost related conditions can chip away at the estimated twelve million box crop between now and harvest time. Crop size the last two seasons has come in at over eleven million boxes. Now with today's "Food Forethought", here's Susan Allen. ALLEN: I have one son who is a distance runner, and I find myself constantly reminding him to drinks lots of water before or during a meet. It was only recently brought to my attention that hydrating could actually harm him, maybe even kill him. In fact while there has never been a death in a marathon attributed to dehydration there several have died have over hydrating or hyponatermia. This condition is caused by the kidneys being unable to excrete water during exercise. According to new research runners who over- hydrate can actually flood cells and in severe cases brain cells can become so full they press against the skull, and this can be fatal. It is interesting to note that it usually occurs in runners who shuffle along slowly, drinking the length of the course, not the athlete at his peak. I am always amused how my generation survived without continually nursing bottled water or a Gatorade. Apparently we were better off for those lines at the drinking fountains after all. I'm Susan Allen and this is Food Forethought.