To meet growing demand for garlic, Gilroy's Christopher Ranch recently invested in an expansion of its garlic production plant, adding more employees as production ramps up.

Ken Christopher, executive vice president of Christopher Ranch and the grandson of Gilroy Garlic Festival co-founder Don Christopher, suggested the San Joaquin County group is trying to use the publicity of the demise of the Gilroy festival to its own advantage.

World-renowned food festival, plagued by the Covid-19 pandemic, continuing lawsuits over the 2019 mass shooting, financial losses and new insurance requirements by the City of Gilroy, will be dramatically scaled back this year and in years ahead.