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Today i learned about Government cheese
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gandalf_der_13te feddit.org gandalf_der_13te@feddit.org
Joined: 2026-08-01
(edited) Quote

it was produced in the US as a part of food subsidy programs, also for disaster relief etc.

175   Original
IWW4 lemmy.zip IWW4@lemmy.zip
Joined: 2025-07-12
#2 · Quote Reply

Yep, I ate it a lot growing up. I used to really like it.

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cattywampas lemmy.world cattywampas@lemmy.world
Joined: 2025-12-30
#3 · Quote Reply

My favorite jam band

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gdog05 lemmy.world gdog05@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-08-02
#4 · Quote Reply

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.

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dogslayeggs lemmy.world dogslayeggs@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-17
#5 · Quote Reply

Yeah, there was a popular joke about it from In Living Color.

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😈MedicPig🐷BabySaver😈 lemmy.world MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-04
#6 · Quote Reply

I highly recommend the Apple TV series: Government Cheese.

Quirky, interesting, fun.

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RamRabbit lemmy.world RamRabbit@lemmy.world
Joined: 2025-11-16
#7 · Quote Reply

The Fat Electrician did a great video on this a few years ago, if you want a listen.

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TrackinDaKraken lemmy.world DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world
Joined: 2025-02-26
#8 · Quote Reply

We had it when I was a kid. This, and powdered milk that we mixed with real milk. I remember doing the mixing when we got home from grocery shopping.

(I know powdered milk is "real" milk. But... is it?)

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brem lemmy.world brem@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-06-09
#9 · Quote Reply

A lot of Government Cheese is stored in caves.

So it's technically fromunda cheese.

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ChicoSuave lemmy.world ChicoSuave@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-08-12
#10 · Quote Reply

Yep, I ate it a lot growing up. I used to really like it.

Made the best grilled cheese sandwiches

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MrEff lemmy.world MrEff@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-09-24
#11 · Quote Reply

The Fat Electrician did a great video on this a few years ago, if you want a listen.

Such a good video. Good channel too. I always send that one to people.

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adarza lemmy.ca adarza@lemmy.ca
Joined: 2024-05-29
#12 · Quote Reply

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.

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SeeMarkFly lemmy.ml SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml
Joined: 2024-02-02
#13 · Quote Reply

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!

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gandalf_der_13te feddit.org gandalf_der_13te@feddit.org
Joined: 2026-08-01
#14 · Quote Reply

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

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Janx piefed.social Janx@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-12-19
#15 · Quote Reply

Yeah, there was a popular joke about it from In Living Color.

Chris Farley on Saturday Night Live also had one!

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Lexam lemmy.world Lexam@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-10-13
#16 · Quote Reply

I miss government cheese. It was so good.

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Dookieman12 piefed.social Dookieman12@piefed.social
Joined: 2026-07-01
#17 · Quote Reply

We had it when I was a kid. This, and powdered milk that we mixed with real milk. I remember doing the mixing when we got home from grocery shopping. (I know powdered milk is "real" milk. But... is it?)

That depends on your point of view.

Powdered milk is milk with the water removed. For that reason, many people would probably agree with the idea that it's "real" milk.

On the other hand, brandy is wine that's had the water removed, but I think you'll have a hard time finding anyone who will agree with the idea that brandy is wine.

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Dookieman12 piefed.social Dookieman12@piefed.social
Joined: 2026-07-01
#18 · (edited) Quote Reply

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'.

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bobbyfiend retrolemmy.com bobbyfiend@retrolemmy.com
Joined: 2026-06-21
#19 · Quote Reply

"I will not eat the green eggs and government cheese..."

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RebekahWSD lemmy.world RebekahWSD@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-10-19
#20 · Quote Reply

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).

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billwashere lemmy.world billwashere@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-12
#21 · Quote Reply

Somehow my dad would get this from work. I guess people would trade or sell it. But that shit was good.

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SubArcticTundra lemmy.ml SubArcticTundra@lemmy.ml
Joined: 2023-06-03
#22 · (edited) Quote Reply

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

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SubArcticTundra lemmy.ml SubArcticTundra@lemmy.ml
Joined: 2023-06-03
#23 · Quote Reply

Something something lucky 10,000

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idiomaddict lemmy.world idiomaddict@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-16
#24 · Quote Reply

That depends on your point of view. Powdered milk is milk with the water removed. For that reason, many people would probably agree with the idea that it's "real" milk. On the other hand, brandy is wine that's had the water removed, but I think you'll have a hard time finding anyone who will agree with the idea that brandy is wine.

many people would probably agree with the idea that it's "real" milk

I agree, but I also think almost everyone would know which you wanted if you asked them for the ā€œreal milkā€

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billwashere lemmy.world billwashere@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-12
#25 · Quote Reply

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.

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thenextguy sh.itjust.works thenextguy@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2026-07-01
#26 · Quote Reply

ā€œAndrew Jackson, in the main foyer of his Whitehouse, had a big block of cheeseā€¦ā€

https://youtu.be/t-bzcExJR4I

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Uranus_Hz lemmy.zip Uranus_Hz@lemmy.zip
Joined: 2026-03-01
#27 · Quote Reply

Free velveeta for all

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zuckey78 sh.itjust.works zuckey78@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2023-08-08
#28 · Quote Reply

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.

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MinnesotaGoddam lemmy.world HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-27
#29 · Quote Reply

Also part of an experimental us army program on increasing shelf life of perishable foods,

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MinnesotaGoddam lemmy.world HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-27
#30 · Quote Reply

ā€œAndrew Jackson, in the main foyer of his Whitehouse, had a big block of cheeseā€¦ā€ https://youtu.be/t-bzcExJR4I

Okay he did one thing right

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MinnesotaGoddam lemmy.world HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-27
#31 · Quote Reply

That depends on your point of view. Powdered milk is milk with the water removed. For that reason, many people would probably agree with the idea that it's "real" milk. On the other hand, brandy is wine that's had the water removed, but I think you'll have a hard time finding anyone who will agree with the idea that brandy is wine.

But how do you feel about buckle berry ferry

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gandalf_der_13te feddit.org gandalf_der_13te@feddit.org
Joined: 2026-08-01
#32 · (edited) Quote Reply

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).

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WatermelonPaloma lemmy.world WatermelonPaloma@lemmy.world
Joined: 2026-04-07
#33 · Quote Reply

Yep, I ate it a lot growing up. I used to really like it.

Same! I loved it when I was young.

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acockworkorange mander.xyz acockworkorange@mander.xyz
Joined: 2023-06-09
#34 · Quote Reply

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.

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acockworkorange mander.xyz acockworkorange@mander.xyz
Joined: 2023-06-09
#35 · (edited) Quote Reply

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!

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McBB lemmy.world McBB@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-02
#36 · Quote Reply

Friday - Government Cheese

https://youtu.be/j8i4I_P5Mg4?is=0KJfjrfjA50f3ia1

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