Nationally-known storyteller Michael Cotter and the Heartland Storytellers will perform a benefit for the South Central Sustainable Farming Association from 2-4:30 p.

Thursday, January 10, 2002

Nationally-known storyteller Michael Cotter and the Heartland Storytellers will perform a benefit for the South Central Sustainable Farming Association from 2-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12, at the Flame Theatre in Wells. Tickets are $4 for adults and free for children 12 and under. Tickets are available at the door or from Sustainable Farming Association members. For information, call 256-4876.

&uot;Michael Cotter can put you right in the story, and teach you things you always knew and never before found in yourself,&uot; said Jim Tjepkema of the Sustainable Farming Association. &uot;He makes me laugh and think.&uot;

Michael Cotter and the Heartland Storytellers Guild will entertain with stories from the heart of farm country, and the wit and culture of the countryside. Cotter, a third-generation farmer from Austin, has entertained audiences across the country with his storytelling skill. He is one of the founders of the Heartland Storytellers. He farms the flat prairie land that his grandfather first plowed in the 1870s. He calls himself a personal storyteller. His stories are true accounts peopled with farmers, town folks, and wayfarers. A life time of observing farm animals brings sometimes earthy, sometimes funny comparisons between animal nature and human nature.

The members of the Heartland Storytellers Guild call southern Minnesota and northern Iowa home. They meet monthly to share stories and perfect their skills. The stories arise from their rural life and experiences. Members perform at events and festivals in the state and region. This performance marks the fourth time Cotter and the Heartland Storytellers have performed to benefit the South Central Sustainable Farming Association.

The South Central Sustainable Farming Association is devoted to advancing environmentally friendly farming. This group of farmers uses a wide range of farming methods to reduce the risk of environmental damage. They are actively working to create alternative products and markets that are profitable for their members and valuable for consumers. Several members of the association belong to the Heartland Storytellers Guild.

Following is a roundup of other events going on in the area this weekend.

Saturday, Jan. 12

– The Humane Society of Freeborn County will hold a pet adoption from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Gayle’s Grooming & Pet Supplies, 917 S. Broadway Ave., Albert Lea.

– A spaghetti dinner and silent auction benefit for Dave Foley will be held from 5-8 p.m. in the basement of the Wells VFW Club. Cost is $4 per person, and children 5 and under eat free.

Foley is a self-employed plumber who fell and shattered his hip Oct. 8 while working. He has incurred over $50,000 in medical bills, of which insurance is only paying 60 percent.

He has been unable to put weight on the hip until this week, said his wife, Lisa. &uot;It’s been a long haul,&uot; she added.

The event is being organized by Patty Rathai, Barb Wildgrube and Noni Bottke. Any donations for the silent auction may be brought to the benefit.

For more information, call Rathai at (507) 553-5439.