FARM VISIT PREP - Wed Oct 7, 10:30-11:30 AM: What to Bring, See, and Ask

Everyone on the visit reads this first. It covers what to bring, what to look for at each tower and plot, what to photograph, safety, and the questions to ask on site.

• BEFORE THE VISIT (Mon-Tue): Confirm the meeting spot, parking, and who meets us at the gate with Dr. Kay. Ask whether we need a permission form or ID. Check the weather for Wednesday. Charge your phone and bring a backup battery.
• WHAT TO BRING: closed-toe boots, a hat, sunscreen, water, bug spray, your phone (charged), a notebook or the Notes app, and a pen. Bring the farm map from Resources and the Plot Mapping entry printed or on your phone.
• WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE WE GO: 8 towers, 6 plots. Towers do not map one-to-one to plots, and Towers 5 and 6 each feed two plots. Use Dr. Kay's table in the "Shell reply (Dr. Kay): Plot and Tower Mapping" entry. Do not assume a tower belongs to a plot just because it is nearby.
• WHAT THE TOWERS MEASURE: each one measures air exchange over a moving area (the footprint). Wind direction decides which part of the field it sees. Write down the wind direction and speed when we arrive, since it changes what each tower can see.
• PLOT TREATMENTS: Plot 1 Sorghum/Corn Control (Tower 13). Plot 2 Sorghum/Corn Treatment (Towers 3, 6). Plot 3 Pasture Treatment (Towers 2, 5). Plot 4 Sorghum/Corn Treatment (Towers 4, 6). Plot 5 Pasture Control (Towers 14, 5). Plot 6 Pasture Treatment (Towers 1, 5).
• AT EACH TOWER, RECORD: the tower ID, its height if visible, the crop or pasture around it, the distance to the nearest field edge or road, anything that could block wind (trees, buildings, equipment), and the time. Take one wide photo and one close photo.
• PHOTOS TO TAKE (name each file with its tower or plot, for example tower_002_wide.jpg): every tower, every plot (one photo from each edge of the plot), the boundaries between control and treatment plots, any visible crop stage (planting, growth, harvest), any equipment or fertilizer or biochar piles we see, and the farm access road. Post them in the team chat and in the Resource Center.
• WHAT TO OBSERVE THAT DATA CANNOT SHOW: how tall the crop is compared with the tower, whether the soil looks dry or wet, whether any plot looks different from the others, and whether anything was disturbed recently (tillage tracks, harvested rows, cut stalks).
• QUESTIONS TO ASK ON SITE: Which tower is the best representative of each plot? What management happened on each plot, and when? Are there tower maintenance or calibration dates? Which towers had data gaps, and why? Where can we find the eShare photos Dr. Kay mentioned?
• SAFETY: stay with the group at all times. Do not climb tower structures or touch the instruments, cables, or sensors. Do not walk into planted rows unless the farm staff say it is fine. Watch for uneven ground, irrigation lines, and wildlife. Tell someone right away if you feel unwell (heat, bites, or stings).
• RESPECT THE FARM: stay on access roads and marked paths. Close gates behind you. Do not take samples unless Dr. Kay or farm staff ask you to. Do not post photos publicly; they are for the team and the sponsor.
• AFTER THE VISIT (same day): add your photos to the Resource Center with a 1-2 line description, and write your 3 best observations in the team chat. Raylen updates the Wednesday update and the tasks. Rory and Alex add any new data questions to the PREP entry for Oct 8.
• WHO DOES WHAT: Raylen leads the visit, confirms the meeting spot with Dr. Kay, and keeps the time. Alex takes the wide and close photos and labels them. Rory records the wind, tower heights, and any gaps or instrument notes. Everyone asks at least one question.