If fertilizer was not available, explain to me why some states have fertilizer plants going up for every 250 square miles? Once upon a time farmers knew how to farm without fertilizer, and spending money on corporate chemicals. .. sure production was less than, but the farmer didn't have the entire world depending on them back in the day. Fast forward to now, the government runs everything, and if you take a look at some of the red farming states, the people running the government are the ones with the dirtiest farming and farming chemical operations. It's like a wasteland out there.