Can you still get government cheese?

Currently, as part of the USDA Food Nutrition Service Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), eligible Seniors over age 60 are provided one 32-ounce (910 g) block of processed cheese food each month, supplied by participating dairies.

What kind of cheese is government cheese?

Like all American processed cheese, it consists of a variety of cheese types and other ingredients such as emulsifiers blended together, and may be made of any of Cheddar cheese, Colby cheese, cheese curd, or granular cheese.

Why is it called government cheese?

Farmers started making way too much milk, which was turned into way too much cheese. At least 30 million pounds of it was distributed through nutrition assistance programs, and suddenly a block of surplus dairy product became a neatly packaged symbol of economic status known as “government cheese.”

Why did they stop government cheese?

By the 80s, the stockpiles were so large that merely storing them became prohibitively expensive. The government even paid dairy farmers not to produce any dairy for five years, buying the farmers’ cattle herds. The cheese would have eventually spoiled without any outlets, and there was no more space to store it.

How do you get government cheese in 2020?

You CAN buy the cheese! It is made by Land O’ Lakes and is called easy melt american cheese. It’s for sale on Amazon, but it comes in big long blocks like the old days. 5 pounds in a block and you have to buy 5.

What did government cheese taste like?

If you’ve ever tasted what’s known as “government cheese,” you won’t soon forget it. Its flavor was described as somewhere between Velveeta and American cheese and smacked of humiliation or gratitude for the people who couldn’t afford not to eat it. Its color, a pale orange, was eye-catching.

Where is government cheese stored?

The United States is back to stockpiling cheese The cheese came in handy for Ronald Reagan’s “government cheese” program, which released 30 million pounds of the lactose-laden dairy product (paywall) to any state that applied. The massive stockpile—estimated worth $4 billion—was kept safe deep inside Missouri caves.

Does the government have cheese caves?

So the government started buying up as much cheese as people wanted to sell at the new price. The government wound up spending a lot of cheddar on a lot of cheddar, billions of dollars. Eventually, they bought so much cheese, they had to rent caves to store it all.

What exactly is government cheese?

Government cheese is a commodity cheese that was controlled by the US federal government from World War II to the early 1980s. Oct 9 2019

Can I still get government cheese?

Unfortunately, there isn’t a goverment cheese section at your local grocery store or any online grocer. The truth is unless you actually qualify for goverment assistance you can’t legally acquire goverment cheese. But the good news is that several dairy producers make a product that is as close as you can get to the real thing.

Is there still government cheese?

Government cheese still exists as part of the WIC program for Women Infants & Children. This is a program to provide nutrition to low income, pregnant women and their children. Cheese, milk, eggs seem to be the basics provided.

What happened to government cheese?

Here’s what happened to government cheese. The U.S. has too much cheese – 1.4 billion pounds to be exact. In the 1980s, the USDA stepped in to help control volatile milk prices. Farmers started making way too much milk, which was turned into way too much cheese. At least 30 million pounds of it was distributed through nutrition assistance programs,…