General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIn the early '80's the USDA bought excess dairy products....
...in the form of American cheese and made it available to the poor or basically anyone that stood in line for it. The cheese was then known as Government cheese, and it was good.
This program was an effort to prevent a collapse of prices and supported the dairy farmers. Nothing wasted, and it was a win-win for farmers and people in poverty. Not certain but I doubt that it caused much pain to the government either. The kicker, a Republican was President, a Ronald Reagan.
Why are we disposing of meat, eggs, milk and produce, especially with the demand for food banks at an all time high and with a shortage of food at the food banks? And then explain to me how it makes sense to pay the producers of the food to dispose of the food at the tune of $20 billion a year?
There are 30 million people unemployed and the McConnell Senate aint giving regular citizens another dime....please dont feed me the price support protection BS line either.
Chainfire
(17,442 posts)they will never go back to work.
Under The Radar
(3,401 posts)...working people and college students like me was available to get it too. I Stood in line every Wednesday and got two large bars for me and my roommates. I havent been out of work a day in my life since I was 18.
Newest Reality
(12,712 posts)The dignity of work is more important and minimum wage is so generous.
Free rides are for those entitled to them. I think it's in the Constitution
Under The Radar
(3,401 posts)...doesnt take an engineer to find the mathematical equation to calculate how far below minimum wage is to poverty.
Hell just do the math on $15 an hour and see how well your family could eat.
Newest Reality
(12,712 posts)I guess that one needed:
I am mostly sarcastic these days, it seems. Homeless life and semi-starvation can do that at my age
And from what I have seen, a minimum wage of $20-per-hour would just get close to some financial security. I've seen the comparisons and adjusted versions.
Thanks.
Laelth
(32,017 posts)Theres nobody to receive and process the milk. The food processing industry has been hit hard by COVID-19. The government would probably love to give this stuff away, but there arent enough people to make that happen because of how many of them are sick already.
-Laelth
captain queeg
(10,080 posts)I was in the meat industry then. There was over production of milk so a lot of farmers sold their milk cattle to the slaughterhouse, reducing their herds. I think the government encouraged that though I dont remember the details. Most of the hamburger you eat comes from old dairy cows and even bulls.
Totally Tunsie
(10,885 posts)Here's an interesting article about gubmint cheese and powdered milk:
https://www.history.com/news/government-cheese-dairy-farmers-reagan
NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)C Moon
(12,208 posts)The Figment
(494 posts)"Grilled Cheese,WTF Its Only A Buck"
Us Deadheads Remember "Reagan Wax" lol
tavernier
(12,364 posts)and giving it to food pantries.
murielm99
(30,712 posts)I would be a lifetime customer. I would tell all my friends, too.
Duppers
(28,117 posts)DanieRains
(4,619 posts)Last edited Sat May 2, 2020, 03:00 AM - Edit history (1)
I think it was '84 or '85. Some of the butter was "old" but no one ever gave any of it back. Every Saturday we would hand it out.
Welcome to reality.
Reagan Cheese.
I got a brick every week.
The best thing was my grandmother knew I loved "fresh" milk, and bought a gallon every week of straight milk with cream on the top from her farmer friend, and put it in the fridge. We would make butter, real butter, and drink real milk. I know most have never tasted the (it can kill you because it isn't pasteurized) real milk. It's soooooo good.
Stay safe.
Reagan Cheese, probably the only good thing he did.
Under The Radar
(3,401 posts)eleny
(46,166 posts)Igel
(35,268 posts)Thekaspervote
(32,688 posts)Chainfire
(17,442 posts)goes back far before R. Ray Gun. It began in the 1930s and continued under one form or another until 2014.
In the mid 1960s, I had an uncle who had ten children, he got enough of the free food to share with our family. Our family may have been eligible, but my father would not have been seen taking free food. The only food I remember was the cheese; it was really good!
The Republicans of today would rather see the food plowed under than to give it to the needy. Plowing it under still supports the prices of the commodities without having to give it away to people who can't or don't want to work.
Horse with no Name
(33,956 posts)Reagan lowered the price of milk and raised the price of grain.
It was crushing to the family farms.
Reagan ratfucked the traditional family farms.