
Hammons Black Walnuts
Not Your Typical Walnut
Wild Black Walnuts stand out in the nut world because of their distinct, bold flavor, incredible versatility and impressive health benefits. Hand-harvested in the USA every fall, they are one of a few crops still picked by hand, making them a unique, all-natural and sustainable nut.
It all started in 1946 when grocer Ralph Hammons noticed a lot of wild Black Walnuts growing all over Southwest Missouri. Seeing the future potential of this local crop, he bought a cracking machine and began buying Black Walnuts from the hardworking Ozarks people who gathered them each fall.
Over 70 years later, Hammons Products Company is still family-owned. The tradition has been carried on by Ralph’s son, Dwain, and now grandson, Brian as well as great-grandson, Jacob, making four generations of Hammons entrepreneurial leaders.
Hammons Products Company continues to buy Black Walnuts the same way Ralph did in 1946. Coming to the company from over 215 local buying stations across 11 states, the efforts of thousands of people working together has helped make the American Black Walnut an integral piece of Midwest culture and a staple ingredient in many sweet and savory recipes.