Oneonta Food Makers Among Finalists in Statewide Contest

By MONICA CALZOLARI
ONEONTA

Toonie Moonie Organics Ltd. and Vêsucré LLC are two women-owned businesses in Oneonta. Both food makers recently applied to compete in an inaugural competition held by The Business Council of New York State Inc. and dubbed “Coolest Thing Made in New York.”

Forty-five manufacturers applied for “coolest thing” honors. Toonie Moonie and Vêsucré were among the top 16 businesses receiving the most votes in the first round of the contest. Neither business had advanced to round two as of August 12, but they were up against some stiff competition.

General Motors in Buffalo entered its Corvette engine as the “Coolest Thing Made in New York” and The Raymond Corporation in Greene applied to have its robotic “Orderpicker” considered for coolest product honors, among other entrants. The winner will be announced on September 19.

The purpose of the “Coolest Thing” initiative is to spotlight the innovation, creativity and manufacturing excellence of businesses across the state.

Michelle Catan, advanced certified senior business advisor with the New York State Small Business Development Center, suggested that Toonie Moonie and Vêsucré enter the competition as a platform to showcase their food products.

Kim Condon, owner of Toonie Moonie Organics, said, “Michelle Catan is amazing. She cares. She’s passionate about helping small businesses.”

Sarah Hartmann, founder of Vêsucré, said, “I am truly grateful to be in this competition, and to be alongside Kim Condon is such an honor.”

Both entrepreneurs manufacture products for the health-conscious consumer. Condon is a vegetarian who had a sweet tooth as a child and was nicknamed Toonie Moonie.

Condon said, “Ninety-five percent of my refrigerator and pantry are full of organic products. When I started the company, there were not many organics in the sweet category.”

When Condon had children of her own, she could not find an organic marshmallow product. So, in 2006, she converted her garage into an organic

kitchen and invented an organic kosher marshmallow crème that is gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian.

Condon took several years off when her children were still young and began to grow the business in earnest about seven or eight years ago.

Today she employs 10 people and manufactures 12 flavors of marshmallow crème. Toonie Moonie can be found nationally in grocery stores including Whole Foods and on Amazon.

Vanilla is Condon’s most popular flavor, she said. Seasonal flavors such as maple and pumpkin spice are in demand, and many consumers request peppermint-flavored Toonie Moonie for their holiday fudge recipes.

Vêsucré opened for business in October 2022. Hartmann said, “I was put on a vegan diet by my doctor. Newly vegan, I couldn’t find a frozen dessert I liked.”

So, she made her own.

Vêsucré manufactures a plant-based, frozen dessert that is free of dairy, soy, gluten, and refined sugar. Hartmann describes the frozen treat “as a cross between ice cream and crème brûlée.”

Hartmann has been a vegan— a person who does not eat any food derived from animals—for four years.

“I am a foodie. For me, food is an art form. I wanted a happy dessert,” she explained.

Sucre means sugar in French. Hartmann combined “Ve” for vegan with “sucre” for sweet.

Vêsucré is made with oat milk and is dairy free. Since it cannot be called ice cream, Hartmann named it “Plant de Crème.”

She said, “I come from a dairy family. My parents are my test tasters. If they like it, I know I am on to something.”

Hartmann was born and raised in Oneonta. She returned home two years ago from New York City to care for her aging parents. Today, she is on a mission to educate consumers that you can obtain protein without eating meat. In fact, her plant-based product is packed with 10 grams of protein in a single serving.

About 4 percent of the U.S. population, or 9.7 million people, are vegans. Vêsucré caters to consumers with dietary restrictions and also people who are plant forward, who want to eat less meat. ‘Peace on Earth, Desserts for All’ is the motto of Hartmann’s business.

“You do not have to be vegan to know something tastes good,” she said.

Hartmann partnered with The Arc Otsego and Springbrook to provide work opportunities for local individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

“At this point in my career, I want to be inclusive,” Hartmann said. “I‘ve had folks with disabilities in my life. Helping them find work and obtain skills that can light them up is so satisfying.”

Hartmann is proud that her employee, Gwen Calchi, developed the company’s “milk” chocolate frozen treat.

“We are a zero-waste company on a sustainability mission. Our main ingredient is oat milk. [Using] the left-over oat pulp, we turn the residual oats into brownies.”

Hartmann emphasized, “If you are a food maker in New York, there are a lot of resources available. For example, Grow New York has an annual competition. The top prize is $1,000,000.00.”

She also said, “Oneonta is a very friendly place to be a food maker, especially a start-up.”