NOCO launches a new brand of sustainable products – Trend

Offers consumers sustainable agricultural products generated by affiliated companies Buffalo River Compost and River Road Research

It was 2018 when we first explored Buffalo River Compost practices – the culmination of Dave Majewski’s sustainability efforts. More recently, we looked into the inner workings of another sustainable company called River Road Research. Besides these two initiatives that convert waste into useful by-products, they both (now) have something else in common. They are both affiliated with NOCO, under the full-service energy company expansion into sustainable business areas.

NOCO a new brand of consumer products, Tend, is in place to bolster the region’s circular economy, offering soil amendments including composts and mulches (via Buffalo River Compost), and insect protein pet foods, including backyard chicken snacks, wild bird food, dog treats, and other pet products (via Research on the river route).

“These products are designed to help regional economic efforts thrive by using components consciously selected to prioritize the health and well-being of our local ecosystem,” said Bobbie Thoman, NOCO’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “Tend is committed to using high-quality components and ingredients and low-carbon production methods and technology, all of which contribute to a sustainable future.”

• Brian’s Best Compost by NOCO, a Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) certified compost, diverts thousands of tons of commercial food waste, tree, leaf and wood waste from landfills, as well as manure from hoofed animals, aged litter, straw and alfalfa from the Buffalo Zoo each year to produce compost that benefits the environment. Besides, Buffalo River Compost recently began receiving plant clippings from the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens.
• Research on river routes recycles food waste to create a sustainable source of protein for use in animal and aquaculture feed. Using shelf-stable food scraps as insect food, River Road Research breeds black soldier fly larvae for protein meal. The resulting insect-based protein meal can be used as a substitute for less sustainable protein ingredients currently used in animal feeds and for aquaculture. River Road Research operates a research and development facility on the east side of Buffalo.

Tend products now available include:

• STA Approved Screened Compost
• Unscreened compost
• Top quality manure compost
• Natural mulch
• Premium planting sand
• Black soldier fly larvae – natural and nutritious feed supplement for chickens and laying hens

NOCO has certainly diversified since its earliest formation as an energy company, founded in Tonawanda, NY, in 1933 (as a residential coal supplier). From there, the company ventured into fuel oil, but also propane. Today, NOCO is bringing more sustainable products into the mix, which serve areas such as landscaping, home garden projects, lawns and urban farms. This is a direction that aligns with the future of circular economies – a trend all businesses should consider at this point.

Consumers can order Tend products at growwithtend.com. NOCO also works with several local garden centers, including Clyde’s Feed and Animal Center, Masterson’s Garden Center and Northtown Garden Center, to make Tend products available for purchase. Two-pound bags of compost are also available for sale at the Botanical Garden.

For more information about Tend, visit growwithtend.com and to learn more about NOCO’s energy-related sustainability initiatives, visit noco.com/sustainable-energy.