Well said. AND it is true today, the north would starve if it was not for the Southern and midwest States. The north are takers, they are not givers in the final tally.
Only if, by "the North" you mean agricultural production in just New England, which today produces only about 1% of US agricultural products.
But if, by "the North" you mean 1861 Union States (except California) then today they produce about 36% of US agricultural products.
California alone produces 13%.
Today former Confederate States combined produce about 25% of US agricultural products.
US agricultural production by state
In the 1860s Union states out-manufactured Confederate states by factors of several to one.
Today the differences are not so pronounced.