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Today i learned about Government cheese
(en.wikipedia.org)
Friday - Government Cheese
Yep, I ate it a lot growing up. I used to really like it.
The best part of the box of goods. That and honey.
Same! I loved it when I was young.
Yeah, there was a popular joke about it from In Living Color.
Also part of an experimental us army program on increasing shelf life of perishable foods,
yeah i suspected it was actually an army project to prepare for the escalation of the cold war. that's why it was released after 1980 ... it was considered that it wasn't necessary anymore (to keep it in stockpile).
Free velveeta for all
Somehow my dad would get this from work. I guess people would trade or sell it. But that shit was good.
Just one more argument for socialism /s
If I recall correctly I’m pretty sure it was due to the government subsidies for the dairy industries to keep the prices up.
Initially to stabilize the market. What was happening is the price of milk would tank and a lot of farmers turned their livestock into meat and left the business, which then resulted in a production shortfall, and skyrocketing prices, and the cycle began anew. So they came up with a plan to buy excess milk when prices were low, turn that into a higher value, longer lasting commodity to sell later. But once you introduce that by the government instead of private companies, removing it becomes a political maneuver. So it could only go up, and prices were kept artificially high.
the actual sliced american cheese was awesome. better than deli american or the american cheese used by fast food and other restaurants on cheeseburgers.
the loafs of "cheese food" were more like an american cheese 'flavored' velveeta, but not as good (taste or to cook with). but it still worked for mac & cheese, grilled cheese, cheese dips, and in hotdishes and the like.
My grandmother loved the government cheese. They also traded shoe rations for other rations because her father was an oil derrick man so got more shoe rations but didn't really need them (he was a higher up so not usually working the derrick himself except during inspection).
Rations? Smells like communism. McCarthy, get 'em boy!
The Fat Electrician did a great video on this a few years ago, if you want a listen.
Thank you for that link random internet person. Subscribed.
Such a good video. Good channel too. I always send that one to people.
I thought so too until I heard him unironically complain about something he thought was "woke". I lost all respect as soon as I realized his beliefs are aligned with the traitors'.
A lot of Government Cheese is stored in caves.
So it's technically fromunda cheese.
I miss government cheese. It was so good.
Disaster relief???
My mom made Mac&Cheese with that cheese and powered milk and leftover bread heels and topped it with the crumbs from the bag of potato chips.
I still can't eat Mac and Cheese in ANY form to this very day.
It WAS the disaster!
xD
Something something lucky 10,000
My favorite jam band
"I will not eat the green eggs and government cheese..."
“Andrew Jackson, in the main foyer of his Whitehouse, had a big block of cheese…”
Okay he did one thing right
I highly recommend the Apple TV series: Government Cheese.
Quirky, interesting, fun.
this post was submitted on 03 Aug 2026
171 points (100.0% liked)
Today I Learned
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