Mohr-Fry Ranches, Producing Sustainable Award-Winning Flowers, Winegrapes, and Fruit Since 1855

Jerry Fry

President/CEO, Mohr-Fry Ranches (since 1855), Diversified Farmer; Past President, Lodi Rotary Club; Board of Directors, Lodi District Chamber of Commerce; Past Chairman, Director, California Association of Winegrape Growers; Volunteer Fireman, Director, President, Woodbridge Rural Fire District (25 Years); Past Trustee Board Member, Chair of Finance and Pastor-Staff Relations, Lodi First United Methodist Church; University of California Berkeley, and UC Davis, B.S and M.S. Soil Science.

With over 150 years of farming in California and five generations strong, Mohr-Fry Ranches consists of vineyards, orchards, and diversified row crops; farming 12 varieties of wine grapes, two varieties of cherries and over 25 varieties of dry heirloom beans. The agricultural history of the Mohrs and Frys extends back to the 1850s, when fifth generation Bruce Fry's great-great-grandfather on Jerry's mother's side, Cornelius Mohr, left his job on a whaling ship in the port of San Francisco and began a farming operation on a Spanish land grant in Mt. Eden near what later became Hayward. Cornelius' son, William Mohr, continued farming diversified row crops including tomatoes, sugar beets, wheat, and experimenting in horticulture breeding iris. Before his untimely death, William Mohr became known around the world for his pioneering research in iris hybridization.

Jerry's dad, Jeryl R. Fry, Sr., met and married Marian Mohr while both were attending the University of California, Berkeley. In 1955, they extended the farming operation to the Delta, to an area called Terminous (San Joaquin County). Due to urban encroachment in Mt. Eden (Hayward), they later added more properties in Thornton, Lodi, Woodbridge and Acampo. Some properties were originally vineyard planted to old head trained Flame Tokays. Today, the properties are planted to 12 different winegrape varieties, Bing Cherries, Rainier Cherries, 27 varieties of Heirloom Dry Beans, Lupin, and Stevia. 

Jerry's mother Marian, who was president of Mohr-Fry Ranches until she passed away in 2007, lived in the house where she was born, on the original Mt. Eden property which was first farmed by her grandfather around 1855. Marian's youngest daughter, Alfreda Andrews, is the Chief Administration Officer, Vice-President of Administration and Secretary of Mohr-Fry Ranches. Marian's oldest daughter, Gayle Fry Tully was the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Executive Officer and President before she passed away in May of 2009. Marian's son, Jerry Fry, today, is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Mohr-Fry Ranches.

The Mohr-Fry family has a long tradition of Rotary involvement. Jeryl Frye served as President of Hayward Rotary in the late 1940s, and Jerry is Past President of the Lodi Rotary Club. Jerry’s sister Gayle Frye Tully served as District Governor for District 5170 of Rotary International and President of Castro Valley Rotary.