Navarro Farm Turns 5 Acres Into a Place of Purpose

Navarro Farm in Frankfort, Illinois, is proving that a farm can grow much more than crops.

What began as five acres purchased for a practical business purpose has developed into a community-centered farm where people with developmental and physical disabilities can work, learn, build friendships and discover new skills.

The story of Navarro Farm is rooted in an unexpected change of direction for Sherri and Damion Navarro. The couple had little farming experience when they acquired the property in 2020. Their original plan was to use the land for storage connected to Damion’s construction business.

Instead, the property became the foundation for something far more personal and meaningful.

CBS Chicago reported Sept. 18 that the couple now operates the farm as a place where people with disabilities can participate in agricultural activities, care for animals, develop practical skills and take part in community events.

The transformation has made Navarro Farm more than an agricultural operation. For many of the people who spend time there, it has become a place where work, social connection and independence come together.

Navarro Farm Began With an Unexpected Idea

The Navarros did not set out to become farmers.

According to CBS Chicago, the couple purchased the five-acre property in south suburban Frankfort in 2020 with plans connected to Damion’s construction company. They later learned from a friend that the property was zoned for agricultural use.

That information helped spark a completely different idea.

Sherri and Damion began thinking about how the land could be used to teach children and young adults about farming. Their son Carter, who has Down syndrome, also gave the idea a deeply personal dimension.

Like many parents thinking about their children’s futures, the Navarros had concerns about what would happen as their son grew older.

The question was not simply about education or employment. It was about finding a place where Carter could contribute, develop skills and feel that he belonged.

The farm eventually offered one possible answer.

CBS Chicago reported that Carter now has a place to come and work, while other people with developmental and physical disabilities have found similar opportunities at the property.

That philosophy has become central to the farm’s mission.

Navarro Farm Gives Farmers Real Responsibilities

The value of Navarro Farm goes beyond simply providing an activity.

Participants are involved in actual farm tasks. They garden, weed, water plants, harvest crops, tend to animals and sometimes help with cooking.

Those seemingly simple responsibilities can have a powerful effect.

When someone plants a seed, watches it grow, maintains it and eventually sees a finished product, the process creates a clear connection between effort and achievement.

Damion Navarro told CBS Chicago that completing that process can help people develop a stronger sense of self-worth.

For participants, farming therefore becomes a hands-on learning experience.

It can teach patience because crops do not grow instantly. It can encourage responsibility because plants and animals require regular care. And it can provide visible results that allow participants to see what their work has accomplished.

That combination makes the farm different from a traditional classroom.

Instead of learning only through instruction, participants can learn by doing.

A Farm Built Around Inclusion

One of the most important elements of Navarro Farm is its focus on inclusion.

People with disabilities are not simply visitors watching other people work. They are participants in the farm’s daily activities.

CBS Chicago highlighted farmers who are learning skills such as gardening, harvesting and watering plants. Participants also interact with animals and take part in social activities with staff, families and other farmers.

That environment can create opportunities that extend beyond agriculture.

For some participants, the farm provides a chance to make friends. For others, it offers an opportunity to develop confidence or explore abilities that might not otherwise receive much attention.

The goal is not necessarily to turn every participant into a professional farmer.

Instead, the farm creates a setting where people can contribute and experience the satisfaction of having responsibilities.

That distinction is important.

A productive day can mean harvesting vegetables, feeding a goat, watering plants or helping prepare food. Each task provides an opportunity to participate rather than simply observe.

Navarro Farm Combines Agriculture With Community

The farm also has a strong social component.

CBS Chicago reported that farmers, staff and families participate in activities designed to bring people together. The property is not only about working in the fields but also about creating opportunities for people to socialize and experience activities as a community.

One example is the annual “Farmers Got Talent” show.

Participants can take the stage and perform for others, demonstrating that the farm’s concept extends well beyond agriculture.

One farmer featured by CBS Chicago, David Hushka, said he enjoyed the event and performed a dance to music by Justin Timberlake.

Moments like that illustrate the broader philosophy behind Navarro Farm.

The property provides a setting where people can develop skills, but it also gives them opportunities to celebrate those skills.

That combination can be particularly valuable for families seeking more inclusive community activities.

From Farm Crops to Products

The work done at Navarro Farm also has a tangible end product.

According to CBS Chicago, crops grown on the property are turned into sauces. Those products are sold through the farm’s Carter’s Corner farmstand as well as at farmers markets and restaurants in the Chicago area.

This creates another important connection between participants and the wider community.

The crops are not simply grown and left in the field. They can become products that other people purchase and use.

That means the agricultural process has a beginning, middle and end.

A participant may help grow or harvest a crop, while the finished product can eventually reach a customer.

The model reinforces the idea that work performed at the farm has real value.

The farm’s earlier development also included a farmstand called Carter’s Corner. A 2021 CBS Chicago report said proceeds from the farmstand helped support programs for people with special needs.

The operation has therefore connected agriculture with fundraising, education and community participation.

Gentle Animals Add Another Dimension

Plants are not the only living things at Navarro Farm.

The property also has animals, including goats and pigs.

For farmers such as David Hushka, interacting with the animals is one of the attractions of the experience. CBS Chicago reported that he particularly enjoyed feeding the goats and spending time around the pigs.

Animal care adds another type of responsibility.

Feeding an animal is different from watering a plant. Animals respond to their surroundings and require regular attention. Learning how to interact with them can create another practical experience for participants.

It can also make the farm environment more engaging.

For someone who may not immediately connect with gardening, animals can provide another reason to participate.

The Farm’s Mission Has Grown Since 2020

The current Navarro Farm is part of a longer story.

A 2021 CBS Chicago report documented the early stages of the project, when the Navarros were transforming their property into a farm designed to provide agricultural experiences for people with disabilities. At that time, the couple was already discussing ways to expand programming and create a larger community.

The farm has continued to develop since then.

In 2026, PBS featured Sherri and Damion Navarro on A Shot of AG, describing how their lack of traditional farming experience did not prevent them from creating a farm focused on empowering people with disabilities.

That evolution is significant.

The Navarros did not begin with a large agricultural operation or years of farming expertise. They began with land, an idea and a desire to create opportunities.

Over time, that idea became an established community resource.

Navarro Farm Is About the Future, Too

Perhaps the most powerful part of the Navarro Farm story is the question that helped inspire it in the first place: What happens to people with disabilities when their parents are no longer able to care for them?

For families, that can be an enormous concern.

The Navarros’ approach does not solve every long-term challenge facing people with disabilities. However, it demonstrates how a community can create opportunities for work, social interaction, education and personal growth.

The farm’s philosophy is reflected in the words displayed on its barn: “A Place To Grow.”

The phrase applies to more than vegetables.

People can grow their skills. Families can grow their connections. Staff members can discover new relationships. And the broader community can develop a better understanding of what people with disabilities can accomplish.

That broader perspective is one of the farm’s central messages.

Damion Navarro told CBS Chicago that visitors see participants as people and recognize their capabilities rather than defining them by their disabilities.

A Place To Grow in Frankfort

Today, Navarro Farm represents a striking transformation of an ordinary piece of land.

What was initially purchased for storage became an agricultural project. That project became a program for people with disabilities. And the program developed into a community where farming, friendship, education and opportunity intersect.

The farm’s story also demonstrates how meaningful community projects do not always begin with a perfect plan.

The Navarros had never planted anything before their idea took root. Yet they learned along the way and built something that now serves farmers, families and visitors.

The official Navarro Farm website lists programs for farmers, families, farmer trainees, field trips, transitions and adult groups, along with community events.

The organization lists its location at 22155 S. 104th Ave. in Frankfort, Illinois, and provides information for people interested in getting involved.

For those who visit, the experience may look like a simple day on a farm.

But behind the vegetables, animals and activities is a much larger idea: that everyone deserves opportunities to learn, contribute, build relationships and experience a sense of purpose.

That is ultimately what makes Navarro Farm stand out.

It is not simply growing crops.

It is cultivating possibility.

And in Frankfort, Illinois, five acres have become a powerful example of what can happen when a family decides to plant an idea and keep nurturing it.