Five Questions With Daryl Hannah
LA YOGA: Where do you feel is an important place for people to begin to look at how we can contribute, even within an urban environment, to being more self-sufficient with our own food, herbs and medicines?
Daryl Hannah: Self-sufficiency in any way is great thing! It helps us feel free and independent and relieves a lot of pressure – both financially and from the fear associated with any dependence. So growing some of your own food, or joining a community CSA (Community Supported Agriculture program), or becoming part of a renewable fuel co-op – these kinds of actions are all liberating gestures and a great way to empower ourselves.
LA YOGA: As more GMO crops are being inserted into our food supply, can you speak to how can individuals or communities take action to ensure access to organic and safe food?
DH: The best insurance that you’re not being slipped GMOs is to stay away from conventionally grown produce and processed foods. GMOs don’t need to be labeled, so conventionally grown corn, packaged goods, and other items are a particularly sneaky way to force feed the American populace GMOs.
Grow your own or stick with organics. It’s also crucial to let your public representatives know if you want GMOs to be labeled.
The Organic Consumers Association is doing great work – keeping up the fight for our right to know and keep organics free of genetically engineered crops.
LA YOGA: Some of your activism has centered around urban gardens. Can you share a particularly heartwarming success story?
DH: The South Central Farm land which I helped fight for is now back up for sale! Check out my video blog on its earlier destruction – (Found on week 12 of the archive of shows on Daryl Hannah’s website: dhlovelife)
There are so many inspiring stories of the emerging urban gardening movement—schools all over the country now have living classrooms and are growing gardens—the city of Detroit has really embraced and is now leading the urban gardening movement, it’s spreading like wildfire.
LA YOGA: How can people become activists and become more involved in gardening in the community or supporting others to do so?
DH: Plant! Having a garden, even a small herb garden in window pots is so incredibly tangibly satisfying! It cleans the air in your home and tastes great. There’s just no downside.
Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture program). Shop at a farmers market. Support or start your kids’ school garden.
Study permaculture. Permaculture is a phenomenal way to mimic nature’s genius to harvest and store water, arrange crops and design everything!
LA YOGA: What one action could people take that you feel would make the greatest impact?
DH: Speak out!
Felicia Tomasko has spent more of her life practicing Yoga and Ayurveda than not. She first became introduced to the teachings through the writings of the Transcendentalists, through meditation, and using asana to cross-train for her practice of cross-country running. Between beginning her commitment to Yoga and Ayurveda and today, she earned degrees in environmental biology and anthropology and nursing, and certifications in the practice and teaching of yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda while working in fields including cognitive neuroscience and plant biochemistry. Her commitment to writing is at least as long as her commitment to yoga. Working on everything related to the written word from newspapers to magazines to websites to books, Felicia has been writing and editing professionally since college. In order to feel like a teenager again, Felicia has pulled out her running shoes for regular interval sessions throughout Southern California. Since the very first issue of LA YOGA, Felicia has been part of the team and the growth and development of the Bliss Network.