By Garland Pollard
Remember the Pillsbury breakfast cereal Farina, which dates from 1898?
We found it at a local grocery, and looked at the back. It is now made by U.S. Mills; their website states that the company has owned the Farina brand since 2001. It says it acquired it from Holden Foods.
Cream of Wheat was invented in 1893, so we guess Farina came a few years after it. No matter; Farina has the funkier, more interesting feel, almost health food except for the WASPy kid on the box. And the word Farina has about as much evocative and nostalgic feeling as Maypo, though Farina is often used generically to describe any kind of cereal of its kind.
It’s a branded product rather like Cream of Wheat, and it is tasty with butter, sugar and milk. One other great thing about it; it is quite easy to cook in a microwave, and doing it that way avoids all the mess in the pot.
20 responses so far ↓
1 joanne adamakos // Jan 23, 2010 at 7:10 am
Could you please tell me why I can no longer find “Farina” in my area. Would it be possible for me to purchas some from you?
Thank you.
2 Fran Carazo // Jul 6, 2010 at 12:38 pm
I can’t find Farina in my area – where in Northeast Pennsylvania (Allentown) can I purchase this?
3 hisaankhalil // Jul 9, 2010 at 12:12 pm
what happened to this company then plz can any body tell me this ?
4 dolores grabowski // Aug 24, 2010 at 8:46 am
Why can’t I find Farina in the stores in my area, which is Rolling Meadows, Il.?
5 John Pascal // Sep 12, 2010 at 10:27 am
I can’t find Farina. Where can i find it? I live in the Pittsburg area.
6 TR // Oct 3, 2010 at 3:34 am
You look like a WASP too.
7 RoseMarie Rivera // Oct 20, 2010 at 7:17 pm
WHAT the heck is going on, when you can’t find a box of FARINA in your local grocery store. Am I still in the US or is this some sick joke, that’s NOT funny. I WANT MY FARINA AND I WANT IT N O W !!!!! Where can I find it??????? This is ridiculous and completely UNAMERICAN!!! I have been eating this cereal for over 55 years and I want it BACK!! Which high powered executive decided to take it off our local store shelves??? Put it back and stop the MADNESS !!
8 carol mcdermid // Nov 9, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Please bring back Farina Cereal. No one carries it in my area anymore. It’s a favorite of mine. It seems the stores that carry it are not in my area. Would I be able to purchase it from the manufacturer direct?
9 Shannon // Nov 15, 2010 at 11:04 am
The Farina Mills Farina is still being produced! This product was acquired by the Malt-O-Meal Company in December 2009. Please check out our website at, http://www.farinahotcereal.com, to contact the company or to order the product through an on-line retailer.
10 Humpybuilt // Jan 7, 2011 at 4:34 pm
The stores in Suffolk County, New York have been telling me
that you do not make Farina any longer, too bad………eat
something else!!!!!!!!I am appalled at their manners and attitude.
My grand children are asking for their breakfast soup!!!!!!! Can
you help me?
11 Humpybuilt // Jan 7, 2011 at 4:43 pm
Yes, Iwill pay a dollar more for the morning favorite as
long as the cows don’t go on strike! Please come
home!!!!!!!!!!!!!RSVP—-ASAP where it can be purchased.
12 Cynthia // Jan 28, 2011 at 12:43 pm
I am SOOOOOOO frustrated….I cannot find Farina in any store. Such a family favorite for YEARS and now someone has decided it is not necessary to be in the anchor super markets.
Please bring back Farina TODAY!
13 anne Nowak // Mar 7, 2011 at 7:40 pm
I LOVE FARINA
I cannot find it anywhere in New Mexico. Before retiring here I could rarely find it in New Jersey. Is FARINA a thing of the past ? Very sad the maker of Farina cannot respond to any of these messages. Shame on you !
14 Elizabeth // Apr 1, 2011 at 6:22 am
I feel HORRIBLE for all of you poor folks who don’t have access to Farina…seriously. That’s the lamest thing I have EVER heard…you can find it in every Wegmans store in upstate New York…not sure if you can somehow order and have it shipped? I would personally volunteer to ship y’all a box…that’s insane!!! I am sitting here enjoying my creamy, dreamy Farina thinking of you…this next spoonful is for you my fellow Farina-lovers!
15 neal // Apr 2, 2011 at 3:34 am
MyBrands.com has Farina Cereal from Farina Mills. Click this link and you can have it shipped to you.
http://mybrands.com/Product.aspx?pid=9859
16 Lucille // May 13, 2011 at 11:59 am
I can only find th ereal Farina in SOME stores back home in Wisconsin. We need it out West!!! Cannot find it n Las Vegas or any surrounding areas!! Come on lets get back to the good stuff!!!
17 Anonymous // Oct 21, 2011 at 6:01 pm
This is for Fran Carazo who lives in Allentown, Pa. I founf farina at Price Rite in Beth at 8th avenue in the Goya asile! nWhats bwrong putting it in the normal ceral asile. Shame on that company!!!!!!!!!!! For anybody else looking go in the spanish asile, probably find it there.
18 K // Dec 3, 2011 at 8:30 am
This particular cereal can be found easily in the new york city area
19 Lady Pilot // Dec 10, 2011 at 1:27 pm
We finally got Tastycakes. Now, why can’t we find Farina in the State of North Carolina?
20 Steven // Dec 30, 2011 at 2:31 pm
Finally got Farina in Oklahoma (at Wal-Mart), used to bring it down to OK from the Chicago area because family could not get it here. Cooked it today & am not happy. It was changed from the all white Farim\na I grew up eating to something with a mix of brown & white granules. Emailed Malt-o-Meal to get explaination. (Farina not shown on Malt-o-Meal site)
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