Farmer Pirates diverts food scraps from landfills and transforms them into nutrient-rich compost.
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FPC Spring Newsletter
Published 23 days ago • 4 min read
SPRING NEWSLETTER
Total pounds composted in January, February, and March 2026:
491,946 lbs
that's +137,677 more than last year!
A word from the Pirates:
Happy Spring! Spring reliably means one main thing for our crew, and that is compost sales season! Sales season is really the culmination of our work - all our food scrap collection and processing adds up to this! Each bag of compost that leaves our site is a true community effort. Spring is also when we do the majority of our annual events, and this year, it's when we are are preparing to DOUBLE (!!) the enrollment of Buffalo's Scrap It! Curbside program. This is just a snippet of what we've got on our plates at the moment - it's a lot, but it's also so energizing for us! We get more contact with our community, the sun is coming out, and our gardens are well on their way. Indeed, happy spring!
Yes, it's compost sales season!
Looking to get some compost for your garden this season? We have options for gardens of any size, choose from bagged or bulk, pick up or delivery. Visit our website to learn more and place your order.
If you are a green bucket or NDO composter, you'll also be able to claim your giveback bags through the normal sales page.
Want to pick up bagged compost and seedlings at the same time? You can special pre-order bags for pick up at either MAP (May 2) or GWMG (May 9) using the link below.
Unfortunately, our Hamburg program is no longer subsidized by the municipality - but thanks to some quick work from the community and our admin team, composting in Hamburg will continue! Our new drop off location is at the Tops on South Park, and we welcome new composters to get involved.
COMING SOON: A new municipal drop off program!
Watch our social media for this announcement :)
What to do with that waste? Spring edition
We have planned a yard waste route for April 22. To get your house on our route, visit your Customer Portal, head to the Shop tab, select the correct number of bags, and check out.
That said, we do encourage you to wait a while longer before cleaning out last year's material! The leaves on your lawn and stems in your garden continue to provide habitat for bugs until night temperatures are reliably above 50. Read this article to learn more.
If you plan to wait to clear out your yard, let us know via email and with enough interest, we will plan another route later in the spring!
Compost liners - use 'em!
We provide compost liners to all residential composters because they help to prevent waste from sticking to the tote, which keeps the totes cleaner and makes them easier to empty. If we ever forget to provide a liner, a paper bag is an acceptable alternative.
If you purchase bags to use at home, please make sure they have a BPI, TUV, or CMA certification. There are many companies that greenwash by labelling products as 'biodegradable' or 'compostable' when they may not truly be. We trust these three certifying agencies and ask you to please only give us materials that are certified.
These are the certifications to look out for when composting any non-food item.
This is an example of a bag that we can't accept - even though it says 'biodegradable,' it does not have one of the accepted certifications.
Hosting a summer bash? Compost with our Event Service!
We continue to refine our new Event Service and want to help you seemlessly reduce the footprint of your next event. Whether it be a small family reunion or a large black-tie wedding, our Event Service can fit your needs. Learn more and get the conversation going here.
Partner feature: East Aurora Co-Op
The East Aurora Co-op Market is a community-owned grocery store in the village of East Aurora, featuring local, organic, gluten free & seasonal groceries, produce, and craft beer, plus hot and chilled prepared foods. The co-op is entering its tenth-year anniversary this June 2026 and looks forward to continuing to be a pillar store and community hub in the WNY Southtowns. No membership is required to shop at the store; the co-op is open to everyone.
East Aurora Co-Op has been composting with us since 2024 and has saved over 50,000 lbs of food scraps from going to the landfill! Rot On, East Aurora Co-Op!
Grand Island Golden Age Center, Lancaster Senior Citizens Center, and Tosh Collins Senior Center
Welcome new Pirates, Katie and Akenzua!
With the upcoming expansion of Scrap It! Curbside, we knew we'd need a few more Pirates on deck. Luckily, we found two of the best! We're so glad to have Katie and Akenzua on the team and out on the road doing pick ups. If you see them, be sure to give them a wave!
We anticipate we'll be on the search for more Pirates soon, so follow our social media or reach out via email to stay up to date on hiring.
Remember, we’re only ever an email away!
We always appreciate questions and feedback, stories and photos.
