By Edie Kasten and Marie Saavedra
Below is a short excerpt from the article. Watch the 3-minute CBS News Chicago segment and read the full article here.
Meet a couple who say what began as a message from above is helping some wonderful people down on the farm.
Sherri and Damion Navarro had never planted anything in their lives, but that all changed in 2020 as a thought began to blossom.
“It all started with planting a seed in our lives, I would say; you know, a thought, just a thought that I think God just placed in our hearts,” Sherri said.
Six years ago, the Navarros bought five acres of land in south suburban Frankfort to use as storage for Damion’s construction company.
“But we didn’t know God had a different plan,” Damion said.
Soon after, a friend told them the land was zoned for agricultural use.
“It’s a shame we don’t teach our kids how to farm,” Sherri said.
The kids included Sherri and Damion’s son Carter, who has Down syndrome. Like other parents of children with special needs, the Navarros had concerns about the future.
“I know some of our fears are like, what’s going to happen when we’re gone? Or where are they going to live? Who’s going to take care of them? What are they going to do?” Sherri said. “Now he has a place to come. He has a place to work.”
At Navarro Farm, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities cultivate more than just crops—they cultivate confidence, independence, and community. Through the power of agriculture, we plant seeds of purpose and harvest lives transformed. Learn more on their website.