Young adults with autism tend the plants at Growing Solutions Farm

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Growing Solutions Farm is a gardening business that employs young adults with autism. Last year they planted their seeds. This year they are getting support from the national garden bureau.

It's all about the growing for the future, which fits the purpose of giving young adults with autism horticulture careers, life skills and something to be proud of.

Located on Chicago's West side in the Illinois Medical District, workers with autism are tending their planets.

"Last year we started a pilot program with only about 46 earth boxes," said job coach T very small this year we have those 46 earth boxes, plus everything that you see here its probably 10X bigger than last year and we have an outdoor classroom" 16:06: 03

Tony Campos is a job coach.

"We're helping them not only learn the skills of farming but also help them learning skills on obtaining job, interview skills," Campos said.

The National Garden Bureau is a 94-year-old not for profit organization that supports gardening programs across the country. This is the first time they are supporting therapeutic gardens.

"Our organization is starting a fundraising project to start a therapeutic garden," said executive director Diane Blazek. "We connected with the Julie and Michael Tracey Foundation and we found out about the Growing Solutions Farm. We thought it was very, very important, the work that they're doing with young adults with autism."

"We're very excited the national garden bureau has partnered up with us to help us sustain this wonderful program," said Campos.

"This gives them hope for their future," Blazek said. "They can become independent, learn job skills and life skills."

For more information or to learn how you can help, please visit www.ngb.org, http://jmtf.org/portfolio/growing-solutions-farm/ and