File Photo: Bob Larkin assists Ed Kaehler as he hauls grain from the field outside of St. Charles, Minn. MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson 

“In some parts of the lower Midwest, water-starved crops have collapsed, but the farmers have not. Farmers across the country are surviving, and many are even thriving. This year, despite the dismal season, farmers stand to make exceptionally good money, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” reports Harvest Public Media.