The Story Behind America's "Government Cheese" And The Massive Caves Used To Store It

All That's Interesting

09 July 2025

In the 1970s, the U.S. faced a serious dairy shortage that sent prices soaring. To address this, the government, under Jimmy Carter, implemented a massive subsidy program for the dairy industry. $2 billion was pumped into dairy subsidies, milk production skyrocketed, and prices for consumers stabilized. By all metrics, the program was a success — but perhaps it was too successful.  https://allthatsinteresting.com/weird-presidential-photos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices