Community

The Gavilan College Board of Trustees this month announced the winners of the Community Spirit Awards for 2018.

Breaking away from the position of many U.S. farmers, Christopher Ranch, the nation’s premier garlic company, announced on Tuesday, Sept. 18, that it fully supports the imposition of a 10 percent tariff on imported Chinese garlic (under the United States Trade Representative Section 301 Investigation).“Christopher Ranch applauds the decision of the U.S. trade representative to raise the tariff to 25 percent on Jan. 1, 2019,” said Ken Christopher, executive vice president of Christopher Ranch, based in Gilroy.“For decades, Chinese exporters have flooded the US market with cheap and often illegally dumped garlic, and this tariff will help to level the playing field for American garlic farmers,” said Christopher.Recently, third-generation farmer Christopher flew to Washington DC to build bipartisan congressional support for the US garlic industry and to offer testimony to the US International Trade Commission in support of the enacted tariff. Officials from the Departments of State, Commerce, Homeland Security, Labor, Small Business Administration, and the office of the US Trade Representative were present to receive the testimony.According to the US Department of Commerce, Chinese garlic exporters have defrauded the US government out of more than $600 million of billed but uncollected duties. This represents the largest single industry of the total $2.6 billion of total uncollected duties since 2001. https://www.gao.gov/assets/680/678419.pdf Unlike past duties, the proposed new tariff would require that fees be paid in advance, preventing exporters from engaging in illegal duty evasion schemes.“In broad macroeconomic terms, we recognize that an escalating trade war may not be in the nation’s larger economic interest, but immediate relief for the US garlic industry is needed,” said Christopher in the company statement. “Illegally dumped Chinese garlic continues to flood the US market, making its way to unassuming American consumers, and US farmers need our government’s support.“The anticipated tariffs of Chinese garlic will go a long way to restoring a longstanding injustice on American garlic farmers.”

While a city annexation plan is moving forward once again, the brainstorming behind a South County Catholic high school is already well under way and has been for a number of years.

South County residents can enjoy a Texas-style barbecue and entertainment Oct. 6 and help the local Philanthropic Educational Organization raise funds for college scholarship opportunities for young women.

The approximately 600 workers at Christopher Garlic’s production facility in Gilroy in July received a raise that’s part of an aggressive plan to increase wages in the nation’s biggest garlic producer.The increased wages benefit not only the workers but also the company, said Ken Christopher, Christopher’s executive vice president.Christopher Ranch increased the minimum wages for its workers from $11 per hour to $13 an hour in January 2017, and increased the company minimum again in July 2018, to $15 per hour."We now offer one of the highest minimum wages in the nation, and unlike many other agribusinesses, we're at full employment and even have a waitlist," Christopher said.Christopher Ranch was stung by a Netflix documentary in January that alleged that it benefited from imported garlic harvested by Chinese prison labor. The company has vehemently denied the allegations that it uses any imported Chinese garlic in its products, and believes its wage increase should go a long way to counteract any negative publicity from the documentary.Field workers are provided by the federal H2A Temporary Agricultural Program. Unlike many other farms, Ken Christopher claims that Christopher Ranch has had no trouble attracting farm workers.“They work at piece rates, and they are incredibly efficient,” Christopher said. “They make above our corporate minimum wage.”Gilroy may be the “Garlic Capital of the World,” but only 300 acres out of Christopher Ranch’s 5,500 acres in production in California are in Gilroy."Fresh garlic costs between 50 cents to $1 per pound to harvest, with the variance depending on different fields yields and whether it was harvested organically or not," Christopher said. "From there, depending on the end product, costs will vary wildly whether we sell it as fresh garlic, peeled garlic, roasted garlic or pureed garlic."This year Christopher Ranch celebrated the Gilroy Garlic Festival simultaneously with one of its most robust harvests to date, over 100 million pounds. This bumper crop was due in part to increased water and labor availability. Christopher Ranch will only sell American garlic, foregoing imports from Argentina and Spain.“We have absolutely not, never, used Chinese garlic, past, present or future,” Christopher said. “We take pride in our integrity. We’re not a faceless company. We’re a 62-year family farm that has had success."Donating money and product to the Garlic Festival has been a long-term effort by Christopher Ranch and the Christopher family. It's also a show of gratitude for the support that Gilroy has shown Christopher Ranch."Christopher Ranch and the Christopher family donated approximately $200,000 to the Gilroy Garlic Festival this year, with about half of those funds going to sponsoring celebrity chefs," Christopher said. "About $20,000 was donated in the form of scholarships for the Gilroy Garlic Queen competition."Christopher Ranch has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in new software to track mentions of Christopher Ranch on social media, and Ken Christopher has committed himself to answer emails or requests for tours of the plant.

A Youth Conference on Race and Social Justice catering to teens ages 13-18 is scheduled from 10:30am to 5pm Sept. 22 at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center (17000 Monterey St.).

Santa Clara County and Morgan Hill have partnered to provide shelter for dogs, cats and other domestic pets, including horses and other large animals, for Morgan Hill residents.

The Santa Clara Valley Water District is one of several agencies involved in the 2018 Coastal Cleanup Day efforts and is in need of 1,500 volunteers of all ages to help get the job done.

Local elementary school students were able to “shop til they drop” at the Edward “Boss” Prado Foundation’s Fifth Annual Back-to-School Fit For Fall clothing drive and backpack giveaway event Aug. 25.

The circus is coming to town.