About Our Plant-Based Peanut Butter Company
Founders
Jeremy Thaler and Constance Potter met while establishing Mifflin Street Co-op in Madison, Wisconsin. They shared a common belief in the importance of herbal supplements, worker-owned cooperatives, organic and sustainable farming and the power of community. Upon leaving Madison and moving to Rochester, New York, they established a worker cooperative distribution called Clear Eye Distribution, and a whole-grain bakery that also produced granola using a barrel roaster.
A chance question from a friend, “You have a barrel roaster; why don’t you use it to make peanut butter?” led Jeremy to the peanut butter business. In 1976, Once Again Nut Butter was born. When Jeremy and Connie left Rochester for a more rural area, they moved the company into their 800-square foot basement and manufactured peanut butter there until they purchased the current facility in 1981.
Our Mission
We, the employee-owners of OANB, produce superior products for our customers. We are committed to sustainability and we spread integrity.
Our Winning Proposition: We spread integrity.
Membership
- National Honey Bee Awareness Day
- Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York
- Organic Trade Association
- American Peanut Council
- National Cooperative Business Association
- National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO)
- Private Label Manufacturers Association
- RSPO Membership for Sustainable Palm Fruit Oil
Where did the Once Again Nut Butter name come from?
Our founders had a history of starting businesses, and so people said, “Once Again,” Jeremy and Connie are starting a new business. “Once Again,” Jeremy and Connie are starting another worker-ownership business. Hence we became Once Again Nut Butter. Over the next thirty years, our founders would work hard to create a company that strives to provide delicious organic and gluten-free peanut butter and natural nut butter products that continue to be enjoyed today.
So, what about our raccoon?
Four baby raccoons, referred to as kits, grew up on the factory grounds. They were apparently orphans and really enjoyed our nut butters. The Once Again Family adopted them, and one of them was lovingly named Rocky. Our kits were very friendly and adored our office. So…in turn, we adopted them and created our company logo in their honor.
The Once Again Family helped the raccoons in their early months then released them into the forest. To this day, our byproducts are donated to area farms or to nature lovers who often use our products as animal and bird foods. Our raccoon has become a symbol of our wholesome nature, our closeness and responsibility to the earth and the nature of our product.
History
1976: Once Again was founded by Jeremy Thaler and Constance Potter. A friend mentioned the idea of purchasing a small, used coffee roaster and trying to roast bulk nuts. Production began in a small, 800-square foot space in their basement. Jeremy arranged to use the discarded bulk pails from a local bakery to pack bulk nut butter.
1981: Once Again purchased and renovated a turn-of-the-century silk production facility in Nunda, New York, and converted it to nut butter production. “Rocky” was one of four baby raccoons found living on the property and became the company mascot and logo.
1989: Once Again is the first company in the nation to introduce Organic Valencia Peanut Butter. We subsidized the farmer’s crops for the next five subsequent years to ensure stability and fair pricing.
1990: Once Again earns Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) certification. Check out this news article from 1990 about it!
1992: Once Again purchased Dawes Hill Honey. Dawes Hill was founded by a group of Cornell University students who formed communities in the late 1960s. Many of them farmed and kept bees.
2004: An additional 27,000-square foot, state-of-the-art production facility was opened.
2006: Once Again became 100% employee-owned.
2007: Once Again introduced the first organic-stabilized Peanut Butter in the country.
2008: Once Again installed state-of-the-art testing lab.
2010: Once Again received its first SQF Certification; Comprehensive Food Safety and Quality Management System.
2011: Once Again became one of the first Certified Fair Labor companies in the country.
2013: Acquired and established the Conference Center and built a state-of-the-art Quality Assurance Lab.
2016: New 40,000 square foot peanut butter facility built and opened