Some suppliers also provided performance bonds for the cover at an additional cost. Some Charter Farm participants have added the lagoon cover into the farms overall insurance policy for damage coverage. This approach however does not provide coverage for a lagoon cover in case of non-performance. Lagoon covers included itemized costs of cover components, including installation, labor and shipping. In general, the owners selected the cover supplier based on cost and experience.
Manure is collected in under-barn pull plug pits.
To address odor issues associated with the farm's current manure storage basin, a heated and mixed covered lagoon digester, was installed in June 1998. A modular, reinforced X-210 cover was used to collect the biogas from the 120 ft. However, a micro burst windstorm damaged the cover while blowing down a nearby building, compromising its gas collection capabilities. As a result, the installation of a replacement cover was deemed necessary. The owners selected a bank to bank 40 mil HDPE to install over the existing cover based on the price and experience of the installer.