Celebrate Earth Week with One Earth Film Festival

14th Annual One Earth Film Festival:
POWER IN UNITY – April 22 to 28

Join us for the Midwest's premier environmental film festival, One Earth Film Festival (OEFF). This year's theme, "Power in Unity," emphasizes the strength of collective action in addressing climate change and environmental justice. Experience a week of inspiring, award-winning films, engaging discussions with experts, and opportunities to take meaningful action.

Gala Launch Party – Tuesday, April 22

Celebrate Earth Day in style at OEFF's in-person Gala Launch Party on Tuesday, April 22. Enjoy an evening of community, film, and inspiration as we commence a week dedicated to environmental awareness and action.

Featured Films and Screenings

OEFF 2025 offers a diverse lineup of films that educate, inspire, and mobilize audiences. View films by date, location, topic, alphabetical, family & youth.

Tickets Are Free

Unless ticket price is indicated, tickets are free, with a suggested $8 donation. This schedule is subject to change. New screenings may be added, and program details will follow soon. Click the film small photo to get full details and reserve tickets.

Engage and Take Action

Each film screening is accompanied by facilitated discussions with experts, advocates, and activists, providing actionable steps to combat climate change and environmental injustice. Whether attending in person across Chicagoland or joining virtually, you'll be part of a community striving for a sustainable future.

Support the Movement

Your participation helps amplify the impact of OEFF. Consider volunteering, donating, or becoming a member to support year-round initiatives promoting environmental awareness and action. Learn more on theOne Earth Film Festival Store & Support page.

Join us in celebrating Earth Week through the power of film and community. Together, we can harness the "Power in Unity" to create lasting environmental change.

VOLUNTEER with Deep Roots Project!

Learn. Teach. Share. Grow. Connect.

Volunteering with Deep Roots Project isn’t just about lending a hand. It’s about growing something bigger—your knowledge, your skills, and a healthier future for all. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just getting started, there’s a place for you in our vibrant network of change makers.

Why Volunteer?

• Learn & Grow: Discover innovative organic gardening techniques while working hands-on in our gardens.

• Make an Impact: Your efforts help bring fresh, healthy food to local families and strengthen our community.

• Teach & Inspire: Share what you know and help others start their own food gardens.

• Connect & Have Fun: Meet like-minded people, build friendships, and be part of something meaningful!

• Get your own dedicated area to garden: You can request your own raised bed area and grow your own vegetables!

• Gardening supplies: Receive free compost and worm castings in exchange for volunteer work.

Ways to Get Involved

• Get your hands in the soil – Help plant seeds and seedlings while learning our regenerative gardening method.

• Help set up irrigation systems – Learn about efficient water management for thriving gardens.

• Be a DRP ambassador – Talk to visitors at local events like the Oak Park Farmers Market, EcoExtravaganza, and Day in Our Village.

• Grow our social media presence – Help spread the word online and engage with our gardening community.

• Share our members' stories – Interview and collect experiences from fellow gardeners. 

• Capture the magic – Take photos and videos of DRP gardens to showcase our impact.

• Assist with workshop planning – Help organize educational events that empower local growers.

• Find & share resources – Curate articles, photos, and videos for our website.

• Support garden-sharing networks – Help connect people in condos and apartments with available garden space.

• Bring DRP to new spaces – Help us connect with schools, churches, and organizations eager to grow fresh food.

• Bag worm castings in one cubic foot bags for our customers.

• Help with our Website — help us update and add new content to our website.

We Make Growing Food Easy and Economical

We use an innovative regenerative growing method called “Transformational Gardening.” Our booming, vibrant community includes gardeners of all levels – beginners, intermediate, and advanced. Our team researches the latest science on organic growing methods. With our well researched organic growing methods, high-quality gardening products, custom-built raised beds, educational blog posts, and support from our coaches, everyone can be successful from their first season!

Ready to dig in?

• Get inspired – Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter.

• Follow us on Facebook – facebook.com/thedeeprootsprojectoakpark

• See us in action on Instagram – instagram.com/deep_roots_project

• Phone: Contact the support team by phone or text at 708-655-5299.

• Email: support@deep-roots-project.org

• Website: https://deep-roots-project.org

• Browse our website archive of blog posts.

  Get in touch and let’s grow together!

Deep Roots Raised Bed Holiday Sale 2024

This holiday season, go beyond the ordinary—give your family the gift of health, hope, and joy with a Deep Roots Project raised bed!

Imagine a space in your yard bursting with life—fresh veggies, aromatic herbs, and nutrient-rich greens, all grown with ease. During these unpredictable times, there's no better way to invest in your family's well-being.

Starts on Black Friday (Nov 29) and Ends on New Year’s Day (Jan 1)

Free compost, worm castings and leaf mulch: Order your raised bed fillled with 100% compost during our Holiday Sale and receive FREE additional bags of premium worm castings (nature’s best fertilizer), microbe-rich compost and leaf mulch. We will give you a product credit equal to 10% of your raised bed order for the bags. Use this credit to mix and match worm castings, compost and leaf mulch. (Remember that your new raised bed automatically comes filled with our premium compost - so any you get with the discount will be extra for use elsewhere in your garden.) Compost and mulch come in cubic foot bags. Worm castings are in either half cubic foot or whole cubic foot bags.

Referral Rewards: Let your friends, neighbors, family know about our sale and get a 5% referral credit for any raised beds they order!

Why choose Deep Roots Project raised beds?

Unmatched Quality: Our raised beds are handcrafted from Eastern cedar for durability, performance, and sustainability. Delivered fully assembled and installed by our expert team, these beds come ready to transform your yard into a thriving garden—no assembly required!

Grow Your Health: Each bed is filled with 100% certified organic, microbe-rich compost, creating the ultimate environment for growing nutrient-dense, delicious food. Our easy-to-learn gardening methods mean less work and bigger harvests. Need help? We’ll guide you in choosing the perfect spot for your garden.

Be Inspired by our blog: Explore gardening tips and techniques on our blog to make the most of your raised bed! Contact us with your questions: Our support team will help you learn our innovative method at your own pace.

Holiday fun for the whole family

How to Order

1. Review Your Order with customer support before payment:
Call 708-655-5299 or email support@deep-roots-project.org for assistance before payment.

2. Place Your Order: Pay securely online using our website or via check (mail to: Deep Roots Project, 323 S. East Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302).

3. Plan Delivery: Choose delivery this winter (weather permitting) or schedule delivery for March/April. We deliver throughout the Chicago area.

4. FREE delivery in the Oak Park area! Fees apply for other locations based on distance.

Grow Your Holiday Spirit

Order now and join the “Grow Your Own” movement. Let Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer guide you to the perfect holiday gift—a garden that keeps giving all year long! We can advise you on storing crops over winter, Ready to Start?

Contact Us With Your Questions

Call, text or email any time with gardening and ordering questions. Call 708-655-5299 or email support@deep-roots-project.org.

Recharge Your Soil with Microbe-Rich Compost this Fall!

Maintain a Robust & Resilient Ecosystem

Now that we are in October, it's time for one of the most important tasks for your fall garden – recharging your soil! Healthy soil is the foundation for a thriving garden, and now is the perfect time to cover your raised beds with a 2-inch layer of fresh, microbe-rich compost. This compost is the same high-quality product we use to fill our new raised beds. It’s teeming with beneficial microorganisms that nourish your plants and build a robust, resilient ecosystem in your garden.

Why Spread Compost in Fall?

Adding compost now ensures that your soil is full of essential nutrients and microbes by the time spring planting arrives. Plus, this replenishes the organic matter your soil needs to keep performing at its best, growing bigger, healthier crops year after year. Whether you’re preparing your beds for winter or planting a fall garden, don’t miss this vital step!

Microbe-Rich Compost Is the Key to Success

Whether you're replenishing your existing beds or filling new ones, our microbe-rich compost is your key to gardening success. It's filled with the nutrients and microorganisms your soil needs to grow healthy plants, and it's OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) certified organic!

Why Deep Roots Raised Beds?

Our cedar raised beds are designed for durability and optimal plant growth. Made from rot-resistant Eastern red cedar, they’re built to handle harsh winter conditions and provide a long-lasting foundation for your garden. The raised beds come in a 15” height, making them ideal for growing a wide variety of food crops, and they’re handcrafted right in our Oak Park workshop.

Learn Our Innovative Gardening Method

We have re-designed and added new content to the “BLOG” section of our website. It is now our “Grow Your Own Food” organic gardening course. It is designed for all experience levels and people with busy lives. You’ll learn to start small and build success year after year. The course covers everything from spring prep to fall harvest, focusing on raised beds filled with microbe-rich compost instead of traditional soil. Healthy soil microbe populations are the hidden garden assistants that feed your plant roots. Grow a successful garden from the first year. Plus, get free support and coaching at (708) 655-5299 and support(a)deep-roots-project.org.      

Lower Raised Bed Prices Until January 1

We’ll deliver a bed to your yard in either the fall or spring – whichever works best for you. This is a great opportunity to set yourself up for gardening success next season without the stress of price changes.

This fall, take your garden to the next level by enriching your soil now – and secure your raised bed for the 2025 season at this year’s prices.

Pricing and Bulk Order Updates

We had to update our prices and our bulk delivery minimums this fall due to increased costs. Please see our Deep Roots Project Price Changes for Fall 2024 news post for details. One big change is a new minimum 27 cubic foot order for bulk deliveries. To help customers with smaller orders who still need delivery help, we are offering a low-cost bag delivery service on a trial basis.

Bagged Compost Delivery Service

We are testing a new service this fall. If you would like, we can deliver your bag orders directly to your home. The charge is $1 per bag with a $15 minimum in the Oak Park / River Forest area. Deliveries can be made Monday – Saturday. If you are more than 5 miles from our Oak Park location – call customer support to get delivery pricing.

Contact our Support Team

Before placing an order for compost, leaf mulch, worm castings or raised beds please contact our support team by email, phone or text message.

Warm regards and happy gardening!
The Deep Roots Project Team
(708) 655-5299
support(a)deep-roots-project.org

Deep Roots Project Price Changes for Fall 2024

Dear Valued Customers and Friends: We want to inform you about recent changes to our pricing for compost, leaf mulch, and other essential gardening products.

This was a difficult decision for us to make, but it’s necessary to ensure that Deep Roots Project can continue to serve our community for many years to come.

Our costs have increased dramatically over the past two years and we could not stay in business with our old prices. So we do this in order to continue supporting our community for many years to come.

Here are the key changes:

Prices for Worm Castings, Microbe-Rich Compost and Dense Leaf Mulch have all been updated.

• The minimum bulk order for compost and mulch is now 27 cubic feet.

• For bulk orders under 2 cubic yards (27 to 54 cubic feet), a $50 delivery charge will apply. This charge is handled on a separate payment page.

• Bulk orders above 54 cubic feet will still get FREE delivery.

• We’re also pleased to offer free delivery of any bags ordered alongside a bulk delivery.

• Delivery of bagged compost, mulch & worm castings is available. Ask customer service for pricing.

• See our Store pages for more details –

  • Bagged Worm Castings (cubic ft bag 40 lbs, half cubic ft bag 20 lbs)

  • Bagged Compost (cubic ft bag)

  • Bagged Dense Leaf Mulch (cubic ft bag)

  • Bulk Compost (over 54 cu ft) with FREE delivery,

  • Bulk Compost (27 to 54 cubic feet) with $50 delivery charge,

  • Bulk Dense Leaf Mulch (over 54 cu ft) with FREE delivery,

  • Bulk Dense Leaf Mulch (27 to 54 cubic feet) with $50 delivery charge.

We greatly appreciate your understanding and continued support as we navigate these changes. Please know that these adjustments allow us to keep offering high-quality products while supporting the “grow your own food” movement and regenerative gardening practices in our local communities.

Please reach out to Deep Roots Project customer support with any questions or concerns. You can reach us at 708-655-5299 or orders[at]deep-roots-project.org.

Deep Roots Gift Card

DRP Gift Card

from $25.00

Give the gift of gardening!

At checkout page, you can add a message and name & email of your recipient.

Value:

Select Value $25.00 $50.00 $75.00 $100.00 $125.00 $150.00 $175.00 $200.00 $225.00 $250.00 $275.00 $300.00 $325.00 $350.00 $375.00 $400.00 $425.00 $450.00 $475.00 $500.00

Purchase

For assistance, contact customer support at 708-655-5299 or support[at]deep-roots-project.org. The card’s full amount must be applied to a single order which can include several items. The total of your order can exceed the card’s value. We will email the final certificate with the name of the recipient, card value and other details.

30 minutes of FREE food garden coaching will be included in the gift for all orders above $100. Learn all about our innovative method on our blog. Start with our overview blog posts at Grow Your Own Food and Transformational Gardening Basics.

Deep Roots Project Garden Party and Potluck

Saturday, July 29, 2023
323 S. East Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302

Welcome Deep Roots Project gardeners, neighbors, and all our friends  
to a garden tour and potluck at the home of Estelle Carol, Bob Simpson and Carolynn Hunt.  

Details about the event:

• Bring food and/or drinks anytime after 1:00 pm

• Bring chairs anytime after 1:00 pm

• Or just bring yourself.

• Tours of the Deep Roots garden will be available from 1 to 8 pm

• Stay as long as you want.

• We’ll start our firepit burning around 5 pm.

• Live music will be from 1 to 4 pm performed by Buzz Hunter.

• In case of rain, we will postpone to the following Saturday, August 5.

• For more information call or text Estelle at 708-616-6473.

• Follow Carolynn on Instagram - @carolynnhuntfloral

Celebrate the “Grow Your Own Food” movement

Let's celebrate together the “Grow Your Own Food” movement and eating healthy organic food. Enjoy our beautiful garden as you connect with old friends and meet new ones. Everyone is welcome.

Your hosts are Estelle Carol, Will Schreiber and Carolynn Hunt. Estelle and Carolynn live in the 2 flat surrounded by the garden. Will and Estelle are co-executive directors of Deep Roots Project which teaches edible gardening using an innovative method.

Estelle does the food gardening and Will builds the raised beds and other systems like irrigation. Carolynn’s business creates floral designs for events and homes.

Details about Deep Roots Project:

• Visit the Deep Roots website at deep-roots-project.org

• Learn about growing organic food with our innovative method perfect for beginner gardeners on our blog posts Grow Your Own Food and Transformational Gardening Basics.

• Learn about our long-lasting cedar raised beds, special soil and fertilizer. Contact Rosita at customer support – 708-655-5299 and support[at]deep-roots-project.org.

Grow Your Own Food Webinar

Deep Roots innovative food gardening method is easier and great for beginners

FREE Webinar on Sunday, April 30, at 3pm

Our first webinar of the season is hosted by the Oak Park sustainability program on their Earth Month Community event calendar for April.. View our preview video on our website. Register for the webinar HERE.

Everyone is welcome. Bring your questions.

YES, YOU CAN! be successful this growing season. Most of our kitchen gardeners are “first-timers. The webinar will highlight the reasons why Deep Roots Project’s unique method makes growing food enjoyable, economical, and successful, even from the first harvest. We will share practical tips on raised beds, soil, watering, pests, optimizing sun and easy plants to grow. We also deliver raised beds ready to plant with seeds and seedlings, as well as compost to fill your own raised beds.

No gardening experience necessary!  There’s never been a better time to discover the joy (and fun) of growing the healthiest, tastiest veggies right outside your door. If not now – when?

Harvest all season with less work!

Starting a food garden can be an exciting and rewarding experience. Although it takes planning and effort, the rewards are well worth it. With a little bit of know-how and some careful planning, and support from gardening experts you can enjoy fresh, delicious produce right from your own backyard.

Enjoy the many benefits of food gardening

Gardening outdoors surrounded by nature is healthy for mind and body and provides many benefits, both for the individual gardener and for the community as a whole. There is peace of mind knowing where your food comes from while also reaping the benefits of physical activity and time spent outdoors.

We follow the latest soil science

Deep Roots Project teaches how to grow food with limited space in raised beds. Our horticultural advisor applied the latest soil science of organic and regenerative farming to backyard kitchen gardens and named our innovative method Transformational Gardening. The healthy soil supports an ecosystem of microorganisms, which nurture healthy plants. The huge populations of soil microbes feed nutrients to the plant roots as nature intended. We replenish microbes and nutrients every season with more compost and worm castings.

Our innovative method is easier to learn

Beginner gardeners love our innovative method because it’s easier to learn and to setup your food garden than traditional organic gardening. Plus, it ensures success year after year. Intermediate and advanced gardeners with busy lives also appreciate the simplicity of our method.

Our gardeners have a partnership with nature

The key to joyful gardening is starting small and growing your knowledge every year. Learning from mistakes is part of your evolving partnership with nature. The Deep Root team is ready to support you when problems arise. Contact support[at]deep-roots-project.org

Our compost is your new “SOIL”

We provide our gardeners with the best products for success – like durable and beautiful cedar raised beds, compost and worm castings (worm poop). We use 100% microbe-rich compost instead of soil and microbe-rich worm castings instead of traditional organic fertilizers. We sell raised beds, compost and worm casting in our online store.

We deliver ready-to-plant raised beds

We design, build, deliver and fill our cedar raised beds. You get an instant garden ready to plant. We also deliver compost for raised beds you provide. Plus, customers can pick up bags of compost and worm castings from our experimental garden and workshop at 323 So. East Ave, Oak Park. IL. Contact us with your questions and to place orders at support[at]deep-roots-project.org and call 708-655-5299.

Worm castings – an amazing fertilizer

Our top quality worm castings (also called vermicompost) is actually worm poop. Our worm castings are gentler to plants, more powerful than traditional organic fertilizers and easier to use. Get a head start on a great harvest by using worm castings when planting seeds and seedlings.

Our “Grow Your Own Food" blog is growing
We revised our earlier blog post and added new tips to make sure that everyone, no matter what their experience level, can grow a successful veggie garden year after year. See the full list of all the Grow Your Own Food blog posts. Or view posts with summaries and photos divided into 6 separate category pages:

Transformational Gardening & Planning
Healthy Soil and Soil Microbes
Garden Planting and Nurturing
Grow Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs
Pest & Disease Control
Healthy People & Communities

Questions, comments, suggestions? We’d love to hear from you! Send photos of your garden too!

See the full list of our Grow Your Own Food blog posts. Our blog posts are divided into 6 categories –  each with its own page of blog post photos and summaries.

Questions, comments, suggestions? We’d love to hear from you! If you need a quick answer to a gardening question give us a call or send a text. We are here to solve your gardening problems. Please call OR text our Customer Service team at 708-655-5299 OR send an email to: support[at]deep-roots-project.org.