North-Dakota Facts

Lane Unhjem's combine caught fire during harvest. Fighting it triggered a massive heart attack, and he was rushed to intensive care. Meanwhile, 60 neighbors showed up with 11 combines, 6 grain carts, and 15 semis. They brought in his entire 1,000-acre crop in just 7 hours. Unhjem later received a heart and kidney transplant, and went home 108 days after the fire.

Bill Gross's parents couldn't afford to pass down their North Dakota farm, so he became a 747 captain. Over the Pacific, he told a copilot his retirement plan: buy a tractor and help farmers in crisis. A friend said not to wait, so in 2005, still flying, he started Farm Rescue. It has helped more than 1,300 families and is looking for the next one this harvest.