30 years ago, 3 lbs. each were given away free in city government parking lots.
It was absolutely the best cheese.
Eh, 40+ years. My dad, of all people scored a chunk of it. I think they were 5 pound blocks. We made grilled cheese sammiches. And yes, it excelled for that purpose. It was aged, even! Isn’t that what the Hipsters rant about?
USDA food programs at least made (some) sense, in that the farmer subsidized commodity programs were then given or sold to school lunch programs. Since the parents were already paying for it one way or another. Just about everything we at in our public school lunchroom was based on those commodities - the peanut butter, milk, butter, cheese,rice, oatmeal, etc. I think it was .40c for Lunch - maybe not the the tastiest, though definitely filling and nutritious.
I’m thinking that because government dairy purchases were destined for storage and they needed to be efficient, it was VERY concentrated cheese. I think all those subsidies ended long ago, and along with it “Government Cheese”.
If it was stored properly, those blocks would be perfectly fine today. Maybe there is yet today a cave somewhere with vintage Government Cheese! It will be just like the GSA auctions of the mint-sewn bag hoards of Silver Dollars unearthed at Treasury.
Vintage Government Cheese! Bid early, and bid often