Donald Christopher, who started Gilroy, CA-based Christopher Ranch in 1956 at the tender age of 22 and grew it into the leading producer of fresh garlic in the United States, died at the age of 87 on Dec. 12, 2022.

Mr. Christopher grew up near San Jose, CA, spending much time on the family farm. The Christopher Ranch story dates back more than 100 years when Ole Christopher (Don’s grandfather) emigrated from Denmark to the United States in the latter part of the 19th century. He was a farmer who settled in California’s Santa Clara Valley with prunes as his top crop.  His children started Christopher Bros. primarily as growers and shippers of prunes. That operation began in the 1920s and continued well into the late 1970s, and it is where Don Christopher began his farming education.

In 1956, Mr. Christopher and his brother, Art, moved south and bought some farmland in Gilroy. His grandson, Ken Christopher, told The Produce News this week that while his grandfather started out with a handful of crops that first year, it was the garlic crop that he was passionate about. In 1960, Mr. Christopher partnered with a couple of other growers to pack and sell fresh garlic from a packing shed in San Jose. Two years later, Christopher Ranch built its first Gilroy packingshed, which is still standing as part of the company’s expansive complex today.

From that time on, Christopher Ranch continued to increase its garlic acreage and eventually became single-minded with the garlic crop being the commodity the firm stamped its name on, both figuratively and literally.

By the early 1970s, garlic was king at Christopher Ranch, and the company was starting to become the leader in the industry. Mr. Christopher’s son Bill joined the company that decade, and father and son worked side by side for decades building it into the company it is today, which is the unparalleled leader in the garlic business.  Mr. Christopher stepped back in 2005, naming Bill as managing partner, but the elder Christopher maintained an office in the complex and was a daily visitor until just two years ago, according to his grandson.

“It’s with great sadness that we report that garlic Industry leader Don Christopher passed away on Dec. 12th, 2022," the Christopher family said in a statement. "Don was a third-generation California farmer, and a recognized innovator and leader in the agriculture industry. He passed peacefully, surrounded by family. Don Christopher continued to transform the American garlic industry throughout his career. Starting with fresh garlic, he was the first to expand to value-added products like peeled garlic, roasted garlic, jarred garlic, and so much more. His legacy meant so much more than just garlic, it meant a commitment to local education and bettering the lives of so many in Gilroy, the Garlic Capital of the World. He is survived by his wife, Karen, two sons, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”