In a land of the free, the US government's secret cheese caves emerge from the shadows. Originally built for bullets, they found a higher calling: storing cheese. These caves are part of dairy subsidy programs, aiming to keep milk prices stable. Supporters hail them as a safety net for struggling farmers, but critics cry foul, questioning the cost and cheesiness of it all. While cheese lovers rejoice, skeptics wonder if the government could melt those resources into better solutions. As the debate rages, these underground cheese havens remain a quirky testament to America's dairy obsession.

 

Sources

 

United States Department of Agriculture. (2021). Dairy Product Price Support Program. https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food-to-us/dairy

 

Gelles, D. (2016, October 6). The Cheese Is So Good, It Has Its Own Caves. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/07/business/the-cheese-is-so-good-it-has-its-own-caves.html

 

Congressional Research Service. (2019). Dairy Provisions in the 2018 Farm Bill (P.L. 115-334). https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45458

 

United States Department of Agriculture. (2021). History of Dairy Programs. https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/commodity-outlook/sector-at-a-glance/dairy/history-of-dairy-programs/

 

Weisberger, M. (2019, August 27). The Environmental Costs and Benefits of Dairy Farming. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-environmental-costs-and-benefits-of-dairy-farming/