Hammers Family Birch marks first harvest, expansion

The Hammers Family Birch in Talkeetna is enjoying the sweet taste of success, celebrating its debut harvest season this month and significantly expanded its production capacity by investing in a state-of-the-art automated vacuum tubing system on April 20, 2024 with a ribbon cutting and tasting tour.

“The technology will enhance HFB's ability to meet the growing demand for its array of birch-based products, including syrups, birch water and confections,” said Ted Hammers, HFB’s co-founder.

The inaugural harvest follows HFB’s recent acquisition of Alaska Wild Harvest and Kahiltna Birchworks. Kahiltna Birchworks has been in operation for over 30 years and is a global leader in sustainable birch syrup products.

“We are excited to launch our first harvest and build on Kahiltna Birchworks’ decades-old legacy of handcrafting premium craft birch products for the state’s residents and visitors,” said Hammers. “Expanding our production capacity will enable us to serve an even wider audience, while delivering on our commitment to sustainability, health and the Last Frontier.”

This season, HFB aims to tap more than 8,000 trees and collect over 100,000 gallons of sap, with projections to expand to 20,000 trees by 2025. That marks an increase of roughly 100% from 2023 and the most sap collected in more than five years.

“We are excited to pass the birch torch off to HFB,” said Dulce Ben-East, who co-founded Kahiltna Birchworks with her husband, Michael East, in 1990. “While there is a lot to learn in the complex business we have built, these young men have the energy and vision to successfully grow and diversify the business. We are happy to see our legacy carried forward and to see what the future brings for Alaska’s birch sap and syrup industry.”

With a retail shop located in Talkeetna, HFB’s expansion will help serve the state’s growing number of visitors. HFB also serves more than 120 wholesale accounts including notable partnerships with local and national retailers, breweries, and tourism and hospitality companies such as Denali Brewing Company, Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, Sierra Nevada, McMenamins, Natural Pantry, Princess Tours, among others. Hammers Family Birch Marks First Harvest and Expansion with New Sap Collection System

"The foundation of Alaska's economy is rooted in small business. The Alaska Chamber celebrates the growth and success of businesses like Hammers Family Birch, whose grit and determination exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit that drives Alaska forward." said Kati Capozzi, president of the Alaska Chamber, the state’s largest business organization.

Through sustainable tapping practices, HFB’s expansion ensures the Matanuska-Susitna Valley’s delicate forest ecosystem remains undisturbed. Birch trees, integral to Alaska's ecosystems, are tapped sustainably during a three- to four-week window in early spring, safeguarding their health.

In addition to its line of birch syrups, HFB's offerings include a diverse range of birch-based products such as birch water, confections, and chaga products, each leveraging the nutritional benefits of birch sap, which is rich in antioxidants, minerals, and anti-inflammatory properties. Visitors were able to partake in samples of the different products, as well as tour the syrup production after the ribbon cutting.

“We applaud Hammers Family Birch for their contributions to the state’s agricultural sector and sustainable expansion,” said Bryan Scoresby, director of the state Division of Agriculture. “Their efforts exemplify our shared vision of Alaska Grown products and innovation, and we look forward to seeing HFB’s continued growth and success.”

Sons of a first-generation Latvian immigrant, brothers Ted and Alex Hammers co-founded HFB, along with childhood friend and business partner Chris Sorensen, after discovering birch products in their ancestral homeland, where birch sap has been a staple since antiquity.

The Hammers brothers’ late grandparents — once owners of a major chain and nail factory in the Latvian capital of Riga — and father were forced to flee their home and business during World War II. After spending seven years in displaced persons camps, they immigrated to the United States to rebuild what they had lost. Nearly 80 years later, the Hammers brothers co-founded HFB to honor that spirit of resilience and hope through a tree as ubiquitous in Alaska as it is in Latvia.

“Our goal is to improve lives by offering sustainably sourced, health-enhancing birch-sap-based products that echo our heritage and personal passions,” Hammers said. “Hammers Family Birch is our way of sharing a piece of that legacy with the hope of making a positive impact in this world. “

For more information, visit www.hfbirch.com