Processors Becoming Brand Owners Signals a New Era of Vertical Brand Building

Once Again Nut Butter Collective’s 2025 acquisition of Big Tree Organic Farms illustrates a growing trend in the organic sector: ingredient processors are becoming brand owners and vertically integrated market players. The deal positions Once Again not only as a nut-butter producer but as an origin-to-brand operator with direct control over raw materials and consumer-facing products.

Big Tree Organic Farms provides an almond-only processing facility in Turlock, California, giving Once Again upstream ownership of a key ingredient that powers many almond-based SKUs. By reducing freight costs and carbon emissions, the acquisition also allows the company to manage quality and sourcing at the orchard level. CEO Bob Gelser stated that the deal “expands our supply chain and reduces our carbon footprint” while supporting rising demand for clean-ingredient almond products.

Owning both the processing infrastructure and ingredient supply gives Once Again a proprietary portfolio of certified organic and non-GMO almond products, strengthening its clean-label brand identity. Vertical integration enhances transparency, traceability, and SQF-level quality assurance across the supply chain, enabling processors to evolve into trusted consumer brands while leveraging sustainability and origin storytelling.

The acquisition reflects a broader shift in the industry, where processors increasingly control both inputs and branded outputs. This strategy secures high-integrity supply and provides a foundation for building value-aligned consumer brands in an increasingly competitive organic and non-GMO market.

Sources: Food Business News (Once Again Nut Butter Collective acquisition of Big Tree Organic Farms; Turlock, CA facility details; CEO Bob Gelser statement); Once Again Nut Butter Collective and Big Tree Organic Farms company materials (organic and non-GMO almond portfolio; processing capabilities).