postgres production database isn't synced with heroku app - ruby-on-rails

Question

I first noticed trouble after I dropped an Active Record table using this migration:
class DropDelayedJobTables < ActiveRecord::Migration
def change
drop_table :delayed_jobs
end
end
bundle exec rake db:migrate seemed to successfully drop the table; it disappeared from schema following rake db:schema:dump; and the records no longer seemed to exist via the heroku console. But, the table still exists in my postgres production database!
$ psql myapp_production
myapp_production=# \dt
Schema | Name | Type | Owner
--------+-------------------+-------+-----------
public | delayed_jobs | table | leoebrown
public | foods | table | leoebrown
public | lists | table | leoebrown
public | quantities | table | leoebrown
public | schema_migrations | table | leoebrown
public | users | table | leoebrown
I also noticed that when I delete records via heroku console (Food.find(1234).destroy), the records still exist in the myapp_production postgres database. For example, when I check the number of foods in the postgres database, it is:
myapp_production=# SELECT COUNT(*) from FOODS;
count
-------
6716
(1 row)
But when I run Food.count in the heroku console, the result is
In general, my postgres database seems disconnected from my live heroku app.
$heroku run console
irb(main):001:0> Food.count
=> 6161
When I check the number of foods in the live website, it is 6161.
Clearly, I am doing something fundamentally wrong. The production database seems totally disconnected from the app. I didn't even notice, because it wasn't affecting performance. It's almost as though it doesn't matter what is in the production database. Though surely it does matter.
Below is my database.yml file in case it provides a clue. For full disclosure, I'm not sure if/where some of these ENV variables are stored or, if they do exist, where to find them, and what they should be set to.
Thank you for any guidance you may provide.
database.yml:
development:
host: localhost
adapter: postgresql
encoding: UTF8
pool: 5
username: <%= ENV['USERNAME'] %>
password: <%= ENV['PASSWORD'] %>
database: myapp_development
test:
host: localhost
adapter: postgresql
encoding: UTF8
pool: 5
username: <%= ENV['USERNAME'] %>
password: <%= ENV['PASSWORD'] %>
database: myapp_test
production:
host: <%= ENV['IP'] %>
adapter: postgresql
encoding: UTF8
pool: 5
username: <%= ENV['USERNAME'] %>
password: <%= ENV['PASSWORD'] %>
database: myapp_production

Answer 1

Well from your post, I think you are saying that your local database named my_app_production is not synced with your heroku database. which will never happen.
You should note that to login to psql session of heroku you need to use following command
heroku pg:psql --app <your app_name here>
psql myapp_production lets you open psql session with your local database. It is not your heroku production database.
More on this https://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/heroku-postgresql