The End Of Government Cheese: Why It Stopped

Government cheese was a staple in the 20th-century American diet. It was processed cheese provided to welfare beneficiaries, Food Stamp recipients, the elderly, and food banks. The cheese was initially bought and stored by the government to maintain artificially high milk prices, creating a surplus that was later distributed to low-income populations. However, in the 1990s, the dairy market stabilized, and the government's cheese reserves dwindled, ending the era of government cheese. While it is no longer distributed, government cheese remains a prominent memory for its former consumers and a symbol of historical poverty.

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The Reagan administration distributed government cheese in 1981

In 1981, the Reagan administration distributed government cheese to America's poor, elderly, and low-income people under the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program. This program was created in response to the country's large cheese stockpile, which was a result of price support programs for farmers enacted in the 1930s. By the 1980s, the stockpiles had become so large that storing them was prohibitively expensive.

The cheese was described as having a pungent smell and an eye-catching pale orange color. It came in iconic five-pound blocks, which were distributed for free through various warehouses and community centers across the country. The program was also extended to organizations serving the needy, and less frequently, to victims of natural disasters.

The distribution of government cheese by the Reagan administration holds a prominent place in the memories of its former consumers. For many, it is a symbol of historical poverty and a reminder of hard times when they were forced to rely on federal handouts. Some people recall the cheese fondly, while others hated how it advertised their socioeconomic status.

The decision to distribute the cheese was influenced by the recognition that allowing it to go to waste would be impractical and a waste of resources. It was also a way to stabilize farm prices and support dairy farmers.

It was a byproduct of artificially high milk prices

The distribution of government cheese was a byproduct of artificially high milk prices. Throughout the 1930s, dairy farmers went on strikes and unionized to demand a fair price for their milk. In response, the government created federal programs to artificially drive up demand. One such program was the 1940 Federal Milk Program for Schools, which federally subsidized milk advertising and mandated that each school lunch include between one and a half to two pints of whole milk.

During World War I, the US government began sending canned and powdered milk to soldiers overseas, leading to a surge in milk production by dairy farmers. However, when the war ended, milk production did not, resulting in a surplus and dangerously low milk prices. To address this, the government began stockpiling dairy products in the 1930s as part of price support programs for farmers. By the 1980s, these stockpiles had become so large that storing them became extremely expensive.

The Reagan administration decided to distribute the processed cheese to America's poor under the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program. This led to a significant proportion of the country's low-income population consuming "government cheese" during the 1980s and early 1990s. However, once the dairy market stabilized in the 1990s, the government no longer needed to continue its cheese hoarding, and the donation programs dwindled.

Today, government cheese is remembered as a symbol of poverty and federal handouts. While it may have provided temporary relief for those struggling financially, the distribution of government cheese was ultimately a result of the government's attempts to artificially inflate milk prices and support dairy farmers.

Government cheese was a poverty symbol

Government cheese, also known as "pasteurized process American cheese", was a symbol of poverty in the United States. It was provided to people below the poverty line, including welfare beneficiaries, Food Stamp recipients, and the elderly receiving Social Security. The cheese was often from food surpluses stockpiled by the government as part of milk price support programs.

The history of government cheese can be traced back to the 1930s when the United States government began to stockpile dairy products as part of price support programs for farmers. By the 1970s, there was a national dairy shortage, and the government intervened by subsidizing the dairy industry, which led to overproduction. This resulted in the government having massive amounts of cheese in storage, with limited options for distribution.

In 1981, the Reagan administration decided to distribute free processed cheese to America's poor under the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). This program was implemented to address food insecurity, which was a pressing issue at the time, with millions of Americans struggling to put food on the table. The cheese was provided monthly in unsliced block form and was often compared in flavor to mild cheddar or Velveeta cheese.

Government cheese became a cultural totem, with rappers like Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar referencing it in their lyrics to recall their humble beginnings. It represented a time of hardship and reliance on federal handouts. However, as the dairy market stabilized in the 1990s, the need for government cheese diminished, and the donation programs dwindled.

While government cheese distribution on a large scale may have ended, the USDA continues to provide eligible seniors with blocks of processed cheese food each month under the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). Additionally, the government still maintains significant cheese reserves, with 1.4 billion pounds of cheese stored in "Missouri cheese caves" as of 2022.

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Dairy market stabilisation reduced the need for cheese hoarding

The US government began to stockpile dairy products in the 1930s as part of price support programs for farmers. This led to massive government-owned cheese surpluses by the 1980s, which were expensive to store. In 1981, the Reagan administration began distributing free cheese to the poor under the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program. This "government cheese" became a cultural icon, referenced in songs by Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z.

However, with the end of herd buyouts and the stabilisation of the dairy market in the 1990s, the need for government cheese hoarding diminished. Ken Vorgert, chief of the Dairy Grading Branch of the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, noted that donation programs declined as the government no longer had its cheap reserves.

The US government still stores significant amounts of cheese, with reports of 1.4 billion pounds of cheese in "Missouri cheese caves" as recently as 2022. However, there has been criticism of the government's continued subsidisation of the dairy industry and maintenance of cheese surpluses, with some arguing that funds could be better spent elsewhere.

In conclusion, while the US government still maintains cheese surpluses, the stabilisation of the dairy market in the 1990s reduced the need for hoarding, leading to the end of the iconic "government cheese" programs.

The cheese was stored in Missouri cheese caves

Missouri, also known as "the Cave State", is home to thousands of natural caves formed from porous limestone. In the 1970s, the United States government intervened in a national dairy shortage by subsidizing dairy farmers, resulting in overproduction. This led to the accumulation of billions of pounds of surplus cheese, which needed to be stored. Missouri's limestone caves, with their vast underground spaces and natural climate control, provided the ideal solution.

The Springfield Underground, a 3.2 million-square-foot warehouse in Springfield, Missouri, is one such storage facility. Located 150 feet below ground in a former limestone quarry, the caves maintain a constant temperature in the low 60s with moderate humidity, creating the perfect environment for cheese storage. While the exact amount and type of cheese stored in these caves remain a mystery, it is estimated that the U.S. government currently holds around 1.4 billion pounds of cheese in these underground facilities.

The use of Missouri's cheese caves exemplifies the government's efforts to manage the surplus cheese resulting from dairy subsidies. These caves, with their vast capacity and climate-controlled conditions, played a crucial role in storing the excess cheese produced during the 1970s and beyond. While the distribution of government cheese has since diminished, the legacy of these cheese caves underscores the unique challenges and solutions arising from dairy industry interventions.

It is worth noting that the government's decision to subsidize dairy farmers during the 1970s was a response to a national dairy shortage and inflation. This intervention led to increased production and, consequently, cheese surpluses. While the cheese caves in Missouri provided a storage solution, they also highlight the complexities of government involvement in the dairy industry. The accumulation of vast cheese reserves and the subsequent challenges of maintaining and utilizing these stockpiles demonstrate the unintended consequences that can arise from such interventions.

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