"A cheese cave may sound like a gift from the gods. Indeed, there are underground caverns that store massive amounts of cheese. In the United States, former mining caves have been repurposed as storage facilities. These underground tunnels offer climate-controlled spaces where large amounts of cheese can be kept to mature or simply stay fresh. Some of these areas are big enough for tractors to drive through."
"A large warehouse known as Springfield Underground in Missouri houses various food products, like cheese. In addition to cheeses, coffee and other foods are kept here. The Springfield Underground complex offers over 3 million square feet of storage facilities and has housed major brands like PepsiCo. What once started as a quarry and is now an industrial park has made it clear that its underground storage isn't a government facility, however, but is simply a family-run business."
Underground caves and former mining tunnels are used as climate-controlled storage spaces for large quantities of cheese, enabling maturation and long-term preservation. A 1977 push to support dairy farmers increased milk production and prices, creating a cheese surplus in the 1980s. The government distributed processed "government cheese" through the Emergency Food Assistance Program because processed cheese could be transported and stored more easily. Storage needs led to use of limestone caves, particularly in Missouri, where consistent underground temperatures simplify preservation. Large facilities like Springfield Underground offer millions of square feet for cheese, coffee, and other food storage and operate as family-run industrial complexes.
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