Detroitpetanque Member Username: Detroitpetanque
Post Number: 120 Registered: 09-2006
| Posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 11:46 am: | |
I'm not from Michigan, but my wife tell me that her grandparents were able to go to some central location and pick up all sorts of foodstuffs supplied by the state (?) from local farmers - canned foods, big block of cheese (velveta/cheddar-esque), powdered milk, jam, peanut butter -- in non-descript packaging. Does anyone recall this program? Where did the goods come from, what were some of the different items supplied? How were they distributed? Did people use ration tickets? |
Topflight Member Username: Topflight
Post Number: 13 Registered: 04-2008
| Posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 12:18 pm: | |
I can only remember the local agency FOCUS HOPE. I am in my late 30's. |
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe
Post Number: 2276 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 12:37 pm: | |
Yes, commodities AKA commods were surplus food. Besides the things you mentioned there was a big block of butter, big cans of turkey, ham and beef, canned green beans, tomatoes, corn and other vegetables, flour, sugar, corn syrup. It was a USDA surplus food program, I believe, and you signed up for the program and went to pick up your carton or cartons every month. In our area, I think they had the pick up points at the township hall. There were eligibility requirements. We didn't get any, but some of my cousins, with 14 kids in the family, did. We would trade them fresh food from our garden for some of the canned things they were tired of. |
Detroitpetanque Member Username: Detroitpetanque
Post Number: 121 Registered: 09-2006
| Posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 1:28 pm: | |
Neat! My wife, to this day, because she had so much of that "gov't cheese" as a kid - can only go for pinconning cheese... (the good stuff). 14 Kids?! Whoaaa! |
Spacemonkey Member Username: Spacemonkey
Post Number: 763 Registered: 03-2006
| Posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 1:30 pm: | |
Such a place still exists today, but it's now called "Costco". |
Eriedearie Member Username: Eriedearie
Post Number: 2025 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 1:52 pm: | |
I remember going with my mom and dad to this building on Gratiot - not far from Better Made. My dad was laid off from one of the car factories. Oh had to be 1957/58 or so. I don't know who sponsored it, but I believe we got to go twice a month. I think my dad had to show his union card. That food saved us quite a bit on the cost of groceries at the time. In the summer we always had fresh vegetables because my dad would plant a big garden. So rounded out with what we would pick out from that program, we did okay. Now in the 80s there was Focus Hope. My sister was a single parent and through the WIC program I think it was, she was able to get what my dad referred to as "Reagan's Cheese" - cause from what I understand he instituted that as a source of protein for the single mother. She also received a month supply of canned milk for my nephew and all sorts of staples. But I agree with your wife - that cheese was great. My sister made many, many grilled cheese sandwiches with it! And yeah, Pinconning cheese - oh yes. That's the good stuff! |
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe
Post Number: 2277 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 2:12 pm: | |
It looks like they still have a program. I remember talking about this a couple years ago with some fellow students at BMCC who qualified due to income status. They went to a former market that was set up with this food on shelves similar to a grocery store. You had a card that you used to check out, so I guess it was like a bridge card. I am not sure if that is still available, but here is a link to a current USDA supplemental food program. It looks like my fellow students wouldn't qualify for this one: http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/pr ograms/csfp/ |
Bobj Member Username: Bobj
Post Number: 4485 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 2:51 pm: | |
My Dad was injured in a factory accident in the very early 60's and he could not work. My Mom had 4 kids to care for and had never held a job at that point, but was soon working parttime at Hudson's. I was under 5 years of age. I remember going to those places and getting huge cans, giant pieces of cheese, etc. Getting food from there was not well regarded and it really bothered my parents to do it. My Dad recovered and went back to work and that was the end of that. |
Detroitpetanque Member Username: Detroitpetanque
Post Number: 122 Registered: 09-2006
| Posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 4:09 pm: | |
Heck, there's no shame in feeding your family. If you couldn't work for some reason (layoffs; accidents) then I don't see anything wrong with gov't supplying something to help get you and the kids through the month. The thing is, where can you store a huge block of cheese?! I'm thinking it hadda be the size of 2 milk containers... |
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe
Post Number: 2280 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 4:27 pm: | |
The cheese was about 8" asquare and a foot or so long. We'd slide it into the fridge front to back at one side of a shelf. The butter was in a can if I remember rightly, or maybe that was margarine, about the size of a 3# coffee can. |
Parkguy Member Username: Parkguy
Post Number: 293 Registered: 04-2007
| Posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 5:53 pm: | |
A lot of folks in our neighborhood got commodity food during the '58 recession. Half of the men in the neighborhood were laid-off then. I loved that peanut butter. Gaz-- your post reminded me of the canned meat! That was bad stuff. |
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe
Post Number: 2281 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 6:04 pm: | |
We liked it OK but we only got it in trade for garden goods, so we didn't have it often. It was best mixed with mayo and onions and celery like tuna salad. |
Eastsidedame Member Username: Eastsidedame
Post Number: 365 Registered: 12-2006
| Posted on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 - 11:49 am: | |
We got that cheese too...it was much better than Velveeta. |