My brother-in-law recently pointed out that, when my siblings and I refer to the place where we often buy meat, we call it “the locker.” Not even “the meat locker.” Just “the locker.” This choice of words doesn’t seem odd to me, but it does to him. Keep in mind, he is a lifelong Minnesotan.

When my dad would visit from out of town to see me or my sister, he would often bring a Styrofoam cooler of meat that he purchased at his hometown “locker.” And it was delicious. This was a wonderful tradition he started that we looked forward to each time, especially the pork chops. And, as such, we would often tell others how tasty this meat was from “the locker.”

It was not until last week that I learned why the term “locker” is used. My neighbor Ron, who worked in the meat industry most of his life, explained it to me. Apparently, the meat butchers used to have actual lockers in their stores where customers would find their orders prepared and ready for pick-up. I found this fascinating, so I did a little research with the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP).

According to the AAMP, in 1908, H.K. Eames of Chico, California, operated Chico Ice & Cold Storage Co. and offered farmers facilities in his plant for storage of their fresh meat. In 1917, Eames added another room with a chopping block and set of butcher’s tools, but the farmer had to do his own cutting, wrapping and placing of meats in the locker. Imagine that today.

Ultimately, a man named Clarence Birdseye became known as the father of frozen food. He was said to be “a man of extraordinary vision, insatiable curiosity, and enormous persistence.” The AAMP states that Birdseye made two major contributions to the concept of freezing food. First, he recognized the importance of freezing food rapidly to avoid damage to its cellular structure (affecting taste, texture and appearance). And, second, he saw the need to freeze food in a package that could be sold directly to the consumer.

Not too many years later, grocery stores rented freezer storage to their patrons. In 1934, Rex Coal & Ice Co. out of Creston, Iowa, was the first locker to offer processing services and storage. In 1937, Iowa organized the first state association of locker plant operators, and, in 1939, leaders of a number of state locker associations met in Des Moines and organized the National Frozen Food Locker Association (NFFLA) – Operator Group.

So, maybe the “locker” really is an Iowa thing. You can call it whatever you want, as long as those pork chops are still available.

Have a magnificent Monday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com

CITYVIEW announced its 2023 Best Of Des Moines readers' choices Jan. 31. You can find all the results from the poll in the February issue of CITYVIEW magazine!

Best East Bar

1. Toads Tavern

2. Cheap Seats Sports Bar

3. Gerri’s

SEE EVENT PHOTOS HERE...

Head-turning wheels

Need for speed

By Ashley Rullestad

Jason Odegaard has been interested in cars and going fast for as long as he can remember.

“I got into racing go-karts when I was about 9 and got my start with working on engines about that time, too. I always enjoyed working with my dad in the garage, going to car shows, races, and pretty much anything car related.”

In Odegaard’s early teens, he began delving into repairs and restoration work. His dad, Mel, is an avid car enthusiast and collector and had a background in stock car racing along with a knowledge and talent for car, truck and tractor restorations, so he learned from him along the way.

Read more in the July issue of Grimes/Dallas Center Living magazine.

Happy Birthday These celebrities were born on this date: Wesley Snipes, J. K. Rowling, Dean Cain, B. J. Novak, Michael Biehn, Lil Uzi Vert, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Rico Rodriguez, Dirk Blocker, Zac Brown, Bill Berry, Emilia Fox, Piper Perabo

SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

The answer to yesterday's riddle:
Why would a miser tape a bunch of corn kernels to his ceiling? HE WAS TOO CHEAP TO BUY A FIRE ALARM! - Gail Tomlinson. OR HE WANTED TO MAKE A POPCORN CEILING DURING THE HEAT! - Mike Chiston, Kris McDonald, Lori Bluml, Rex Post

Today's Riddle

Should you eat corn that has fallen off the stalk?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

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