Greater Buffalo's Premier Organics Recycling and Compost Professionals
Farmer Pirates Compost
Farmer Pirates Compost has been providing compost and composting services to the Buffalo area since 2014. We are committed to all things compost and are expanding our service area all the time!
Bringing Composting to Buffalo!
A Compost Love Story
Sick of trucking in low quality compost from rural areas, Farmer Pirates Compost was unofficially started in 2012 by a group of urban farmers who had the need for high quality compost to use on their farms. It seemed crazy to bring compost in from outside of the city when there was so much organic material leaving the city everyday that could instead be used to create a rich, nutrient dense, organic fertilizer so desperately needed.
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With a bold idea and limited resources we created a Kickstarter campaign and with community support we started composting! From humble beginnings using repurposed buckets from Wegmans, an old pickup truck and simple flyers we spread the word and began our residential program with just 20 members. Over the past 10 years we have refined our services, increased our efficiency and expanded our service area. Now at close to 400 residential members and many larger commercial composters on board we are more hopeful than ever about the future of composting in Buffalo!
Compost Facts
So much of what gets wasted everyday is in fact NOT trash, but can be composted instead! Farmer Pirates makes it simple and affordable for your FAMILY or BUSINESS to divert your food waste from the landfill and start composting NOW!
31.9%
According to the American Journal of Agricultural Economics the average American family throws out about 260 lbs. or 31.9% of all food they buy each year. Even the most frugal families still waste approx. 8.7% of the food they buy.
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4.1%
Of the approx. 54 million tons of food thrown out in the US only 2.6 million tons (4.1%) of it was actually composted. According to the EPA in 2018, food waste is the 4th largest contribution to municipal solid waste (read LANDFILLS)
#3
According to the EPA In the US landfills account for the 3rd largest amount of methane emissions, following petroleum and gas and poorly managed ruminant livestock. Methane is 25 times more potent than C02 at trapping heat in the atmosphere, and a major factor in climate change!
Meet the Compost Crew
Ignacio (Nacho) Villa
Worker Owner
Nacho is our compost site guru. He manages all incoming material and skillfully mixes it all together to produce our beautiful, nutrient rich "black gold" to be used on farms and gardens all over the Buffalo area.
Terra Dumas
Worker Owner
Terra, a founding member and long time slinger of compost, now works mostly behind the scenes signing you up, sending you emails, making sure operations run smoothly and keeps everyone on their toes.
Tucker Stevens
Worker Owner
Tucker has been a pirate since the beginning of time…Farmer Pirates time that is. As a founding member, Tucker is our much appreciated equipment mechanic and manager. He finds, fixes, or fabricates whatever is needed. All the trucks and equipment that collect and process your food scraps stay in working order thanks to Tucker.
Josh Poodry
Worker Owner
Josh does it all! Whether turning compost piles, bringing you loads of compost, delivering totes, or working our residential or commercial pickups, he is a passionate composter through and through.
Bill Jackson
Worker Owner
Bill does a little of this and a little of that. Maybe you'll see him emptying your compost bucket or tote, or he'll be loading you up with our compost at the site or perhaps even delivering the compost right to your home! Anywhere you see him, be sure to say hello!
Jeana Franjoine
Worker Owner
Jeana joined the crew in 2023, bringing experience from her previous business, Good Neighbors Compost. You can find her doing pick ups, opening up new drop off bins, or helping with compost sales at the site.
Tim White
Employee
Tim joined the pirates in 2023, eager to become involved in local composting with appreciation for the worker co-op structure. You can find Tim hauling fresh produce around town on their pink cargo bike, problem solving with the team, or on the road picking up your food scraps. If you see Tim on your pick up day, give them a friendly wave or an equally friendly, arrrgh!
Our Services
Farmer Pirates Compost is dedicated to providing high quality compost and composting services to the Buffalo area. Take a look below to find out what we specialize in.
Composting benefits everyone by:
Saving landfill space
Supporting local businesses
Supporting sustainable agriculture
Improving soil and plant fertility
Eliminating the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides
Increasing soil microbial activity
Commercial Composting
From restaurants, grocery stores and colleges to small offices and apartment buildings, we do it all. Check out our current composting partners
Get in Touch
Mailing Address:124 Coit St. Buffalo, NY 14206
Compost Site: 0 Gittere St. Buffalo, NY, 14211
716-218-9639