Farming|NNP on|IN Sand|NN :|: The|DT trouble|NN with|IN "|'' eating|VBG local|JJ "|'' on|IN Cape|NNP Cod|NNP ||NN Uprooted|NNP ,|, an|DT eco|NN /|NN travel|NN blog|NN This|DT is|VBZ part|NN 4|CD of|IN a|DT 4-part|JJ series|NN on|IN tourism|NN 's|POS impact|NN on|IN Cape|NNP Cod|NNP .|. 
Read|NNP about|IN death|NN &|CC carnage|NN in|IN the|DT shell|NN shop|NN ,|, find|VB out|IN about|IN the|DT eco-friendly|JJ food|NN scene|NN ,|, look|VB at|IN the|DT pretty|RB pretty|RB sunset|NN ,|, or|CC continue|VB on|IN ...|... 

David|NNP DeWitt|NNP does|VBZ n't|RB look|VB like|IN a|DT farmer|NN .|. 
With|IN his|PRP$ long|JJ hair|NN ,|, scruffy|NN beard|NN and|CC t-shirt|JJ ,|, he|PRP 'd|MD fit|VB in|IN more|JJR at|IN a|DT Phish|NNP show|NN than|IN behind|IN a|DT plow|NN .|. 
But|CC appearances|NNS are|VBP deceiving|VBG ,|, and|CC David|NNP 's|POS comfy|NN mien|NN belies|NNS a|DT passion|NN that|WDT is|VBZ influencing|VBG the|DT culture|NN of|IN northern|JJ Cape|NNP Cod|NNP .|. 

To|TO wit|NN :|: in|IN 2009|CD ,|, David|NNP helped|VBD launch|VB the|DT Truro|NNP Ag|NNP Fair|NNP --|: an|DT event|NN that|WDT exceeded|VBD all|DT expectations|NNS and|CC brought|VBN huge|JJ crowds|NNS to|TO local|JJ farmers|NNS '|POS booths|NNS .|. 
He|PRP runs|VBZ the|DT Rock|NNP Spray|NNP nursery|NN ,|, a|DT Certified|NNP Natural|NNP provider|NN of|IN evergreens|NNS and|CC ornamentals|NNS .|. 
And|CC he|PRP manages|VBZ the|DT First|CD Light|NNP Organic|NNP Farm|NNP ,|, a|DT lush|JJ green|JJ spot|NN in|IN a|DT hollow|JJ of|IN North|NNP Truro|NNP .|. 
Here|RB ,|, David|NNP and|CC his|PRP$ partner|NN Arthur|NNP Teubner|NNP work|NN year-round|JJ growing|VBG heirloom|NN and|CC hardy|JJ fruits|NNS and|CC veggies|NNS to|TO sell|VB at|IN market|NN .|. 

David|NNP 's|VBZ a|DT dedicated|VBN and|CC inspired|VBN agrarian|NN ,|, whose|WP$ passion|NN for|IN farming|NN keeps|VBZ him|PRP optimistic|JJ .|. 
But|CC farming|NN on|IN the|DT Outer|NNP Cape|NNP is|VBZ the|DT sort|NN of|IN Sisyphian|NNP challenge|NN that|WDT can|MD wear|VB anybody|NN out|RP .|. 

The|DT hard|JJ truth|NN :|: The|DT soil|NN of|IN North|NNP Truro|NNP is|VBZ not|RB strong|JJ enough|RB to|TO support|VB agriculture|NN .|. 
Without|IN fertilization|NN ,|, it|PRP deteriorates|VBZ shockingly|RB fast|RB .|. 

David|NNP points|NNS out|RP a|DT patch|NN of|IN sand|NN with|IN a|DT thin|JJ strip|NN of|IN fertile|JJ loam|NN along|IN the|DT edge|NN .|. 
Last|JJ season|NN it|PRP was|VBD a|DT fertile|JJ veggie|NN bed|NN --|: but|CC it|PRP was|VBD left|VBN un-fertilized|JJ as|IN an|DT experiment|NN .|. 

"|'' This|DT is|VBZ what|WP happens|VBZ ,|, "|'' David|NNP says|VBZ .|. 
"|'' You|PRP have|VBP to|TO keep|VB feeding|NN it|PRP organic|JJ material|NN ,|, or|CC it|PRP turns|VBZ back|RB into|IN sand|NN .|. "|'' 

This|DT plot|NN was|VBD a|DT test|NN run|NN ,|, left|VBD untended|JJ for|IN a|DT single|JJ season|NN .|. 
Last|JJ year|NN 's|POS rich|JJ loam|NN is|VBZ now|RB useless|JJ sand|NN .|. 

It|PRP 's|VBZ always|RB been|VBN this|DT way|NN in|IN North|NNP Truro|NNP .|. 
The|DT Outer|NNP Cape|NNP is|VBZ really|RB just|RB a|DT spit|NN of|IN sand|NN --|: but|CC still|RB ,|, farmers|NNS lived|VBD here|RB for|IN generations|NNS .|. 
How|WRB ?|. 

Salt|NNP marsh|NN hay|NN .|. 
There|EX used|VBN to|TO be|VB a|DT local|JJ tradition|NN in|IN this|DT area|NN :|: at|IN each|DT spring|NN tide|NN ,|, the|DT local|JJ community|NN would|MD head|VB out|IN to|TO the|DT bogs|NNS and|CC marshes|NNS to|TO harvest|NN the|DT grasses|NNS .|. 
This|DT was|VBD called|VBN "|'' salt|NN marsh|NN haying|VBG "|'' .|. 

Salt|NNP marsh|NN hay|NN has|VBZ no|DT weed|NN seeds|NNS ,|, and|CC it|PRP does|VBZ n't|RB compact|JJ as|IN heavily|RB as|IN other|JJ types|NNS of|IN hay|NN .|. 
This|DT makes|VBZ it|PRP an|DT excellent|JJ and|CC bountiful|JJ source|NN of|IN compost|NN ,|, and|CC it|PRP was|VBD used|VBN for|IN generations|NNS as|IN a|DT soil|NN enricher|NN .|. 
But|CC haying|VBG had|VBN to|TO happen|VB regularly|RB ,|, says|VBZ David|NNP :|: 
"|'' There|EX 's|VBZ so|RB much|JJ oxygen|NN in|IN this|DT soil|NN ,|, any|DT added|JJ compost|NN gets|VBZ burned|VBN up|RP in|IN six|CD weeks|NNS .|. 
All|DT the|DT nutrients|NNS get|VBP depleted|VBN .|. "|'' 

That|DT means|VBZ soil|NN left|VBN for|IN two|CD months|NNS without|IN fresh|JJ compost|NN will|MD become|VB --|: you|PRP guessed|VBD it|PRP --|: sand|NN .|. 

The|DT only|JJ way|NN to|TO keep|VB things|NNS going|VBG here|RB is|VBZ to|TO keep|VB a|DT steady|JJ flow|NN of|IN compost|NN coming|VBG in|IN .|. 
That|DT means|VBZ truckloads|NNS of|IN hay|NN ,|, and|CC that|DT means|VBZ a|DT lot|NN of|IN work|NN .|. 
Last|JJ year|NN ,|, David|NNP and|CC Arthur|NNP brought|VBD in|IN a|DT semi|NN truck|NN loaded|VBN with|IN leaf|NN mulch|NN .|. 
It|PRP worked|VBD --|: but|CC it|PRP cost|VBD money|NN ,|, and|CC it|PRP disappeared|VBD fast|RB into|IN the|DT hungry|JJ ground|NN .|. 
Not|RB a|DT long-term|JJ plan|NN .|. 

In|IN bygone|JJ times|NNS ,|, the|DT whole|JJ town|NN of|IN North|NNP Truro|NNP would|MD pitch|VB in|IN on|IN haying|VBG days|NNS ;|: now|RB ,|, David|NNP 's|POS on|IN his|PRP$ own|JJ .|. 
Without|IN that|DT community|NN support|NN ,|, it|PRP 's|VBZ nearly|RB impossible|JJ for|IN him|PRP to|TO harvest|NN hay|NN often|RB enough|RB to|TO keep|VB the|DT farm|NN green|JJ .|. 

Meanwhile|RB ,|, in|IN Tourist|NNP Town|NNP USA|NNP ...|... 
The|DT Provincetown|NNP farmers|NNS market|VBP has|VBZ lovely|JJ produce|NN ,|, but|CC little|JJ of|IN it|PRP was|VBD grown|VBN on|IN the|DT Cape|NNP .|. 

Provincetown|NNP 's|POS official|JJ population|NN of|IN 3,500|CD supports|VBZ a|DT tourism|NN industry|NN that|WDT serves|VBZ millions|NNS of|IN visitors|NNS each|DT year|NN .|. 
City|NNP folk|NN marvel|VB at|IN the|DT quaint|JJ charms|NNS of|IN the|DT Cape|NNP ,|, its|PRP$ idyllic|JJ beauty|NN and|CC simple|JJ pleasures|NNS .|. 
And|CC then|RB they|PRP go|VBP out|IN to|TO eat|VB .|. 

Even|RB if|IN tourists|NNS were|VBD interested|JJ in|IN sustainable|JJ food|NN (|( they|PRP totally|RB do|VBP n't|RB care|VB )|) ,|, they|PRP 'd|MD be|VB hard|RB pressed|VBN to|TO find|VB a|DT locally-sourced|JJ meal|NN .|. 
Raina|NNP Stefani|NNP serves|VBZ David|NNP 's|POS produce|NN at|IN her|PRP$ restaurant|NN Terra|NNP Luna|NNP ,|, but|CC it|PRP only|RB makes|VBZ up|RP a|DT portion|NN of|IN her|PRP$ fares|NNS :|: the|DT rest|NN has|VBZ to|TO be|VB shipped|VBN from|IN the|DT mainland|NN .|. 
You|PRP ca|MD n't|RB squeeze|VB blood|NN from|IN a|DT stone|NN ,|, and|CC you|PRP ca|MD n't|RB get|VB big|JJ vegetable|NN crops|NNS from|IN sand|NN dunes|NNS .|. 
End|NN of|IN story|NN .|. 

Well|RB ,|, not|RB exactly|RB .|. 
David|NNP is|VBZ n't|RB giving|VBG up|RP --|: in|IN fact|NN ,|, he|PRP 's|VBZ got|VBD plans|NNS and|CC ideas|NNS to|TO refashion|NN North|NNP Truro|NNP 's|POS farming|NN community|NN .|. 
Hence|RB the|DT Ag|NNP Fair|NNP ,|, and|CC the|DT ongoing|JJ experimentation|NN with|IN varieties|NNS and|CC soils|NNS at|IN First|CD Light|NNP .|. 
David|NNP is|VBZ n't|RB alone|RB :|: he|PRP 's|VBZ got|VBD the|DT support|NN (|( and|CC companionship|NN )|) of|IN a|DT growing|VBG group|NN of|IN gamechangers|NNS .|. 
If|IN the|DT young|JJ farmers|NNS and|CC foodies|NNS of|IN Truro|NNP can|MD organize|VB ,|, they|PRP might|MD just|RB be|VB able|JJ to|TO get|VB local|JJ agriculture|NN back|RB on|IN its|PRP$ feet|NNS .|. 

Their|PRP$ main|JJ opponent|NN ?|. 
The|DT tourism|NN and|CC real|JJ estate|NN industries|NNS ,|, which|WDT insist|VBP upon|IN turning|VBG every|DT arable|JJ inch|NN of|IN the|DT Cape|NNP into|IN somebody|NN 's|POS backyard|NN .|. 
The|DT same|JJ population|NN that|WDT would|MD consume|VB the|DT food|NN produced|VBN here|RB is|VBZ actively|RB inhibiting|VBG its|PRP$ production|NN .|. 

No|DT surprise|NN there|RB .|. 
After|IN all|DT ,|, what|WP 's|VBZ the|DT point|NN of|IN farming|NN on|IN the|DT beach|NN ?|. 

2|CD Responses|NNS to|TO "|'' Farming|NNP on|IN Sand|NN "|'' Melody|NNP M|NNP Thibodeau|NNP 25|CD .|. Sep|NNP ,|, 2010|CD at|IN 7:52|NN am|VBP 

If|IN ,|, someone|NN could|MD start|VB bedding|NN the|DT outer|JJ cape|NN 's|POS horses|NNS ,|, with|IN this|DT Hay|NNP /|NN Straw|NNP .|. 
You|PRP know|VBP they|PRP could|MD .|. It|PRP would|MD be|VB even|RB better|JJR for|IN the|DT system|NN .|. 
This|DT would|MD also|RB ,|, make|VB it|PRP more|RBR profitable|JJ .|. 
The|DT horses|NNS .|. 
would|MD be|VB heathier|NN .|. 
They|PRP would|MD n't|RB have|VB to|TO be|VB standing|NN on|IN the|DT acidic|JJ sand|NN all|DT of|IN the|DT time|NN .|. 
The|DT straw|NN /|NN hay|NN could|MD also|RB be|VB a|DT form|NN of|IN supplemental|JJ food|NN ,|, for|IN livestock|NN /|NN horses|NNS ,|, which|WDT has|VBZ been|VBN used|VBN in|IN before|IN times|NNS .|. 
The|DT straw|NN ,|, should|MD be|VB separated|JJ from|IN the|DT manure|NN and|CC dried|VBD in|IN the|DT air|NN ,|, then|RB buised|JJ ,|, by|IN hooves|NNS .|. 
Then|RB it|PRP is|VBZ more|RBR ready|JJ ,|, to|TO be|VB mixed|VBN with|IN the|DT soil|NN ,|, in|IN the|DT spring|NN .|. 

