Patriarch of Christopher Ranch beloved for his involvement with youth
Don Christopher, co-founder of the Gilroy Garlic Festival, displays some of the garlic the family company is famous for. Photo courtesy Christopher family
By Marty Cheek
Don Christopher’s decades of work as a South Valley farmer brought world-wide fame to Gilroy as the “Garlic Capital of the World.” He died peacefully Monday, Dec. 12, with three generations of his family at his side. He was 88.
From left, Don Christopher, Val Filice and Dr. Rudy Malone, the trio who founded the Gilroy Garlic Festival.
Along with his brother, Art, Don co-founded Christopher Ranch in 1956. He elevated it into America’s top garlic producer. With nearly 105 million pounds of garlic consisting of more than one billion bulbs, the local ag business’s 2022 season was the strongest it has been in recent years.
It was for his philanthropy work and involvement with Gilroy’s schools, however, that Don was most beloved by the community.
A Dec. 13 statement by Christopher Ranch read: “It is with a heavy heart that we share that our founder Don Christopher passed away peacefully yesterday, surrounded by family. There is no doubt that his legacy will endure through future generations. He made the Garlic Capital of the World something truly special, and he made a difference in countless lives. His love for his employees, for his community, and for his family was evident every single day, and he will be remembered for his steadfast commitment to making our hometown a better place.”
The company’s patriarch was born in 1934 to established prune farmers in the San Jose area. The Christopher Brothers farming enterprise grew over the years by adding more tracts of land until the family was one of the largest growers of prunes in the county. Don Christopher grew up on that ranch. As a boy and teenager, he worked with his father and uncles in the orchard, developing a love of the land and a farmer’s work ethic. As a young man of 22, he had enough of prunes and decided to strike off on his own.
The Valley of Heart’s Delight was transforming into Silicon Valley, thanks in part to IBM’s building a high-tech complex off Cottle Road on land once covered with thousands of prune trees. San Jose’s population was growing with Baby Boomer families. Property values were rising.
Don Christopher selling garlic in 1979. Photo courtesy Christopher Ranch
“I came to Gilroy because I was looking to buy a place. I didn’t know I was going to grow garlic, honest to God,” Don said in a story published in the July 11, 2018 issue of Gilroy Life. “I saw a piece of property that was down here that my dad said to buy. And then I saw this one, and I said, ‘No, dad, I gotta buy this one.’”
At $1,100 an acre, the price seemed steep in 1956. But Don and his brother bought the 10-acre farm property. The man who sold it to Don gave him a deal of five years with no interest on the payment. He told Don with pride: “Young man, I’m glad someone is coming in who wants to be a farmer.”
During the decades under Don’s business savvy, Christopher Ranch flourished to become the premier garlic grower in America. The company faced challenges. In the 1990s, many garlic fields the company owned were infected with garlic white rot, making growing the crop in the South Valley difficult. It also faced market competition from low-priced garlic imported from China.
Don encouraged innovation in building the company. He got into vertical integration in the 1980s with technology that allowed for the peeling of garlic. The company expanded its product line through roasting its own garlic, and creating garlic jars such as minced, pesto and pickled options for consumers.
Garlic began growing popular as a herb with American consumers after national media attention came to the region with the first Gilroy Garlic Festival in August 1979. It began as a Gilroy Rotary project when Gavilan College President Dr. Rudy Malone met with Don and Val Filice, another local farmer, to discuss a festival dedicated to the “stinking rose.”
Click HERE to read a sidebar story on Don Christopher’s involvement in starting the Gilroy Garlic Festival
Under the trio’s leadership, the event built a sense of community and volunteerism from the beginning. The festival evolved into a critical part of Christopher Ranch’s identity.
Don Christopher and his grandson, Ken, in front of one of their trucks. Gilroy Life file photo
“The three of them put Gilroy on the map with garlic,” said a Christopher family spokesperson. “For Gilroyans, it’s a point of pride.”
The annual event would not exist without Don Christopher, said Trevor Van Laar, president of the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association.
“From its inception at Christopher Ranch on Bloomfield to the many garlic-themed activities when it moved to Christmas Hill Park, Don has been the heart of the festival and its commitment to the community,” he said.
Don and his wife, Karen Christopher, would often be found roaming the festival grounds greeting patrons, he said. They also worked at the Cook-off Stage or Christopher Ranch booth.
“His loss has been felt by all of us,” Van Laar said. “Don served as a constant ambassador for the festival, promoting its mission to provide benefits to local worthy charities and nonprofit groups by promoting the community of Gilroy through a quality celebration of garlic . . . He truly epitomized the spirit of the festival — and we are all committed to ensuring his legacy lives on.”
Beyond the festival, Don inspired the family to keep active helping the Gilroy community in many other philanthropic ways, especially in education endeavors and the support of local youth. He donated 10 acres of land to the Gilroy Unified School District for the Christopher High School campus. It’s named to honor the family.
The Don Christopher Sports Complex contributes to ensuring children and teens stay physically active. Don’s philanthropic spirit led in 2019 to creating the Christopher Family Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting educational programs for local youth.
Click HERE to read thoughts about Don Christopher’s character from a close friend.
Nonprofits supported by the family include Unravel, which helps children with cancer, the Gilroy Compassion Center and the St. Joseph Family Center. The family worked with the Epilepsy Center of California to help children with this condition “be normal kids for one day” by picking cherries in the orchard and enjoying an outing at Gilroy Gardens Theme Park on Hecker Pass.
Don in his office. Gilroy Life file photo
“At the end of the day he’s nothing short of a legend,” the family spokesperson said. “He was larger than life.”
The family will hold a private funeral service. They plan to hold a public celebration of life in January, with the date and location to be announced.
“We want to give him the sendoff he deserves,” the spokesperson said.
For Don, being always available for his loved ones was a top priority.
“His biggest love in his life was his family. That’s a full stop. He was there for all of us and always made time for us,” the spokesperson said. “He had three other loves of his life as well. Those were the ranch, the Gilroy Garlic Festival and the youth in our community.”
Accolades on social media and from leaders have poured in to praise Don Christopher as a gentleman who gave much to the South Valley community.
Congressman Jimmy Panetta told the family he will read all of Don’s good works in his life into the Congressional Record in Washington, D.C. “Everything he has done will be preserved forever,” the spokesperson said.
“Don was a genuinely beautiful person inside and out, and it showed from the moment you met him,” said Gilroy Mayor Marie Blankley in an email. “His generosity enriched the lives of so many, a testament to how deeply he cared for our entire community. We will miss him dearly, but Don‘s legacy will be with Gilroy forever.”
Calling Don Christopher a “South County legend and icon,” Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman at the Dec. 13 board meeting noted the garlic farmer’s passing
“When I first met Don Christopher, I was in awe,” he said. “Countless charities have been the beneficiaries of Don and the Christopher Ranch. When you enjoy a garlic fry at McDonald’s, that’s from Don Christopher and Christopher Ranch. South County has lost a legend.”
