Book published through Christopher Foundation encourages children to learn about South Valley’s famous pungent herb

Elephant Garlic Children’s Book – Front Cover

By Staff Report

Ken Christopher

Children in Gilroy schools can learn about the herb that made the South Valley region world famous in a story book written by Ken Christopher and illustrated by Daniel Voight. It was published in March.

“Elephant Garlic” tells the tale of one of local garlic grower Christopher Ranch’s most celebrated products — an oversized member of the allium family. The hero is a young elephant who takes a  journey to discover his favorite food.

On March 2, the Christopher Family Foundation partnered with the Gilroy Unified School District to provide hard copies of their original children’s picture book to schools in the area. Christopher, president of the foundation, will be reading the story throughout 2021 to Gilroy’s elementary school children. Following the book’s launch and virtual readings with Rod Kelley Elementary, the foundation looks forward to working with many more schools in the near future.

“Education among Gilroy’s youth has long been the primary focus of the Christopher family’s philanthropy,” Christopher said. That’s why they were inspired to create a special story for the children of Gilroy and the surrounding communities.

Following the events of the 2019 Garlic Festival which ended with a mass shooting and four people dead, including the shooter, and the disruption of daily life due to the COVID pandemic, Christopher Ranch started looking to do what it can to improve  the lives of local youth.

As the nation’s largest domestic fresh garlic grower/packer, Christopher Ranch is a family-owned agribusiness with an over 60-year tradition of supplying the finest garlic products to retail and food service customers.

Proudly located in Gilroy, the “Garlic Capital of the World,” Christopher Ranch ships over 100 million pounds of fresh California heirloom garlic annually.

To learn more about Christopher Ranch California heirloom Garlic and other products, visit www.christopherranch.com.