Why the U.S. Government currently stores 1.4 billion lbs of "Government Cheese"

[1srelluc]

Cheese Caves and Food Surpluses: Why the U.S. Government currently stores 1.4 billion lbs of cheese

Hundreds of feet below the ground in Missouri, there are hundreds of thousands of pounds of American cheese. Deep in converted limestone mines, caves kept perfectly at 36 degrees Fahrenheit store stockpiles of government-owned cheese comprising the country’s 1.4 billion pounds of surplus cheese. How we got to this point is a long story, and it starts during a national dairy shortage in the 1970s.

This led to Ronald Reagan enacting public distribution of the government cheese in 1981. That year then-Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block showed up at the White House with a molding five-pound block of cheese and told reporters, “We’ve got 60 million of these that the government owns… It’s moldy, it’s deteriorating… we can’t find a market for it, we can’t sell it, and we’re looking to give some of it away.” Thus, “government cheese” was born, and the federal government distributed these cheese blocks through the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). It was given away for free by pickup to people at food banks, community centers, and so on. “Government cheese” became a totem of American culture, signaling both class and nostalgia.

LOL....the more you know.

 

[Polishprince]

Cheese Caves and Food Surpluses: Why the U.S. Government currently stores 1.4 billion lbs of cheese

Hundreds of feet below the ground in Missouri, there are hundreds of thousands of pounds of American cheese. Deep in converted limestone mines, caves kept perfectly at 36 degrees Fahrenheit store stockpiles of government-owned cheese comprising the country’s 1.4 billion pounds of surplus cheese. How we got to this point is a long story, and it starts during a national dairy shortage in the 1970s.

This led to Ronald Reagan enacting public distribution of the government cheese in 1981. That year then-Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block showed up at the White House with a molding five-pound block of cheese and told reporters, “We’ve got 60 million of these that the government owns… It’s moldy, it’s deteriorating… we can’t find a market for it, we can’t sell it, and we’re looking to give some of it away.” Thus, “government cheese” was born, and the federal government distributed these cheese blocks through the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). It was given away for free by pickup to people at food banks, community centers, and so on. “Government cheese” became a totem of American culture, signaling both class and nostalgia.

LOL....the more you know.

What kind of wine goes with government cheese? Thunderbird?

 

[1srelluc]

What kind of wine goes with government cheese? Thunderbird?

Old Mr. Walters liked Wild Irish Rose with his .gov cheese.....He lived in a shack down by the river and taught half the kids in town how to catch carp and catfish.

When he passed (he was black) I bet 300 people, mostly white, showed-up at his graveside service. As he was indigent I was worried he would not have a tombstone but it turned out he was a WW-2 Vet so the government provided one. I still ride by his grave on occasion and pay my respects.

 

[DudleySmith]

Yes. Most people don't know that along with the 'Energy Crisis' hoax in the 1970's there was also a global food shortage crisis, a real one, going on at the same time and contributed to real inflation at the time. Of course, why cheese was thought to be more important than some other foods to stockpile is probably due more to private industry lobbying and bribes to Congressmen than some runaway bureaucratic mindlessness.

 

[1srelluc]

Yes. Most people don't know that along with the 'Energy Crisis' hoax in the 1970's there was also a global food shortage crisis, a real one, going on at the same time and contributed to real inflation at the time. Of course, why cheese was thought to be more important than some other foods to stockpile is probably due more to private industry lobbying and bribes to Congressmen than some runaway bureaucratic mindlessness.

From the article.

Farmers who had been struggling were motivated to produce as much dairy as they could, knowing that whatever was not sold on the market could likely be purchased by the government, and it was. By the early 1980s, the government owned over 500 million pounds of cheese. The reason the dairy product was converted to cheese was because it has a longer shelf life than other dairy products as the government searched for solutions to the problem it had created.

I guess the subsides never went away (what subsides do?) due to what you suggest so we still store a metric shit-ton of .gov cheese.

 

[DudleySmith]

From the article.

Farmers who had been struggling were motivated to produce as much dairy as they could, knowing that whatever was not sold on the market could likely be purchased by the government, and it was. By the early 1980s, the government owned over 500 million pounds of cheese. The reason the dairy product was converted to cheese was because it has a longer shelf life than other dairy products as the government searched for solutions to the problem it had created.

I guess the subsides never went away (what subsides do?) due to what you suggest so we still store a metric shit-ton of .gov cheese.

When I went to grade school the entire food stock on the cafeteria shelves was surplus government stuff, from massive amounts of peanut butter to flour to green beans to meat loaf, all in the same packaging the food on military bases came in. Don't know if it was donated or bought. The milk was local, though, and came in nearly indestructible pint glass bottles. This was before the 1970's but during the Cold War era, and they were busy recycling the older stuff out to move in newer stuff for the stockpiles on a rotating schedule based on expiration dates, I assume. They had us convinced we were going to be nuked any second in those days. No vending machines, no sodas, no candy, no MacDonald's franchises running lunch room scams. You ate what was on the menu, for 25 cents a plate, or you brought a sack lunch.

 

[MarathonMike]

Cheese Caves and Food Surpluses: Why the U.S. Government currently stores 1.4 billion lbs of cheese

Hundreds of feet below the ground in Missouri, there are hundreds of thousands of pounds of American cheese. Deep in converted limestone mines, caves kept perfectly at 36 degrees Fahrenheit store stockpiles of government-owned cheese comprising the country’s 1.4 billion pounds of surplus cheese. How we got to this point is a long story, and it starts during a national dairy shortage in the 1970s.

This led to Ronald Reagan enacting public distribution of the government cheese in 1981. That year then-Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block showed up at the White House with a molding five-pound block of cheese and told reporters, “We’ve got 60 million of these that the government owns… It’s moldy, it’s deteriorating… we can’t find a market for it, we can’t sell it, and we’re looking to give some of it away.” Thus, “government cheese” was born, and the federal government distributed these cheese blocks through the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). It was given away for free by pickup to people at food banks, community centers, and so on. “Government cheese” became a totem of American culture, signaling both class and nostalgia.

LOL....the more you know.

I remember that was a big thing in the 80s, giving away government cheese. That gave rise to a popular joke in Arizona. Why can't you take a family picture of Mexicans? Because when the photographer says "Cheese" They all run to get in line.

 

[Turtlesoup]

Cheese Caves and Food Surpluses: Why the U.S. Government currently stores 1.4 billion lbs of cheese

Hundreds of feet below the ground in Missouri, there are hundreds of thousands of pounds of American cheese. Deep in converted limestone mines, caves kept perfectly at 36 degrees Fahrenheit store stockpiles of government-owned cheese comprising the country’s 1.4 billion pounds of surplus cheese. How we got to this point is a long story, and it starts during a national dairy shortage in the 1970s.

This led to Ronald Reagan enacting public distribution of the government cheese in 1981. That year then-Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block showed up at the White House with a molding five-pound block of cheese and told reporters, “We’ve got 60 million of these that the government owns… It’s moldy, it’s deteriorating… we can’t find a market for it, we can’t sell it, and we’re looking to give some of it away.” Thus, “government cheese” was born, and the federal government distributed these cheese blocks through the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). It was given away for free by pickup to people at food banks, community centers, and so on. “Government cheese” became a totem of American culture, signaling both class and nostalgia.

LOL....the more you know.

Many politicians own beef/dairy farms---hence the real reason for farm subsidies not to produce and the buying of products to push price.

 

[toobfreak]

Cheese Caves and Food Surpluses: Why the U.S. Government currently stores 1.4 billion lbs of cheese

How do I put in for my 4.25 pounds of American cheese? I could go for a good melted cheese sandwich right now!

 

[MisterBeale]

There are billions of pounds of cheese stockpiled in the United States. But who owns it?

Spoiler alert: it's not the government ... at least not anymore.

www.13wmaz.com

 

[Borillar]

What kind of wine goes with government cheese? Thunderbird?

Muscatel, Idaho's finest wine.

 

[Borillar]

I remember getting some back in the mid 80's. Picked up a big block of American Cheese, a bag of flour, a bag of cornmeal, and a couple pounds of butter. Haven't heard of or seen any gov cheese giveaways since then.

 

[Moonglow]

They never did say where they store the crackers.