Samantha Allemann, Author at Samantha Allemann

The Original Plant Eaters (Daily Care)

The rise of vegetarianism and veganism in recent years has made it easier than ever to follow a plant-based diet. Tofu, tempeh and a whole bunch of milks that didn’t come from a cow are readily available at supermarkets, and even the most far-flung pubs and restaurants usually have at least one non-meat eating option.

With plant eaters being spoilt for choice these days, spare a thought for the original vegetarians, who couldn’t chuck a tub of Tofutti into their shopping basket or fry up a dish of mock meats.

Swallowing Our History (Matters Journal)

It’s estimated that there are over 6,500 native food species in Australia – how many have you tried? You’ll probably get a chance to sample more, with the popularity of indigenous foods making it likely more will appear in restaurant menus and supermarkets in the future.

Lindy Wills, Dancing Through Life (Audrey Daybook)

Lynette ‘Lindy’ Wills is one of Australia’s most accomplished ballerinas, but her 19-year career wasn’t sparked by visions of sugarplums. “I didn’t start ballet with the usual reason, of skipping around wanting to be a fairy,” says Lindy.

Aiming High: Equal Playing Field (Fernwood)

Laura Youngson is not the type of person to sit back and seethe. Annoyed that a women’s soccer team didn’t receive funding while the men’s team did, Laura established the Equal Playing Field initiative to promote women in sport. “That’s where the idea came from, to do something so outrageous and so ridiculously difficult that people would think, ‘you did that? that’s crazy!’,” she says. And as far as challenges go, playing soccer at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro is up there.

Mysterious Markings

In 1980 in America’s Bible Belt, a toddler named James Luke had tumours all over his body. An IV insertion caused a linear scar on his neck, while a tumour behind his left eye blinded him and another behind his right ear was biopsied. Twelve years later, James’ mother Kathy had given birth to two healthy children and was welcoming another son. As well as being born blind in his left eye, with a cyst behind his right ear, her newborn son had a linear birthmark on his neck.

The Plummery’s Urban Abundance (Pip Magazine)

The Plummery sounds like a sprawling countryside property. Its garden beds grow an abundance of vegetables, with surrounding fruit and nut trees underplanted with shrubs, herbs and flowers. Bubblegum grape shades the house and there’s a greenhouse with bananas and babaco. A quail aviary sits by the side of the house and on the southern side are avocados, feijoas and a cherry guava. Yet all of this is contained on a 280m² block in Melbourne’s inner city suburb of Northcote, at the home of permaculture designer Kat Lavers.

Rescue Remedy (Sunday Life)

Australia’s animal shelters are brimming, with hundreds of thousands of companion animals euthanised every year. Rescue groups are inundated, relying on volunteer foster carers to open their homes and hearts to animals in need.

Older Single Women Paying The Price (Vice)

They’ve worked or been caretakers (or both) their whole lives, but they are the fastest growing homeless demographic in Australia—thanks to a lifetime of gender discrimination.

Jacob’s Food Diaries (Kidspot)

One morning a spelt pancake was transformed into a lion, and with that, the direction of Laleh Mohmedi’s life also changed. Whipping up breakfast for her young son Jacob, the Melbourne mum posted a photo of the arty creation to her Facebook page. Encouraged by her friends to start an Instagram account, Jacob’s Food Diaries was born.

Captain Planet: Fearmonger Or Prophet? (The Vocal)

Climate change is at the forefront of our minds and political debates these days. This focus, while crucial, has somewhat diverted our attention from all of those other environmental issues us 90s kids grew up fearing thanks to our trusty green haired, blue-skinned friend Captain Planet.

So was the Captain and his devoted Planeteers being overly dramatic about the future of Planet Earth, or should we have taken greater heed?