[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 198 (Tuesday, December 20, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1317]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING DON CHRISTOPHER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 20, 2022

  Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the many 
contributions of Don Christopher to our Gilroy community. Don passed 
away on Monday, December 12, 2022, at age 88, surrounded by his family. 
This loss is deeply felt across our community.
  Don Christopher was born into a prune-farming family in San Jose in 
1934. According to Mercury News archives, Ole Christopher had emigrated 
from Denmark, purchased 15 acres in South San Jose, and planted his 
first trees in 1896. The orchard expanded to hundreds of acres over the 
decades, and family members eventually sold their land in the 1950s to 
IBM for its facility.
  Don attended Oak Grove Grammar School, Live Oak High School, and San 
Jose State Universjty. In 1956, after receiving a gift of acreage. he 
founded the Christopher Ranch company. He planted lima beans, sugar 
beets. and 10 acres of garlic. From these beginnings, Christopher 
Ranch, while always remaining a family operation, evolved to become the 
nation's largest garlic processor. Although Christopher Ranch now grows 
garlic throughout California, all of it is processed in Gilroy. The 
company is the largest private employer in Gilroy.
  Don and Christopher Ranch were instrumental in creating our renowned 
Gilroy Garlic Festival. In 1979, a handful of volunteers, including 
Don, staged a festival celebrating garlic with the goal of raising 
money for charity. They expected several thousand people from the 
surrounding communities. This turned out to be an underestimation: 
15,000 people attended the first Gilroy Garlic Festival. The festival 
became a momentous, three-day event. It drew visitors from around the 
world annually from 1979 to 2019.
  Don Christopher's hard work turned Gilroy into the Garlic Capital of 
the World. He also contributed extensively to our community, including 
the Gilroy Unified School District, through philanthropy. I first met 
Don in the 1980s when he built a child development center at his 
expense and opened it for the benefit of the children of his employees. 
Don was someone who cared about others. He was generous and devoted to 
his family, his employees, and his community.
  Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to recognize and commend Don 
Christopher for his awe-inspiring achievements. His legacy will endure 
for generations. We miss him greatly.

                          ____________________