Elma Locker ‘makin’ bacon’ with four awards at 2025 Iowa Cured Meat Championships

AMES - It was another outstanding performance by Elma Locker and Grocery at the 2025 Iowa Cured Meat Championships  as the Elma-based company took home four top awards.  

The Locker failed to get a 2025 Grand Champion this year, but did well in four categories, including two in bacon, one in wieners and the other in turkey. 

Elma Locker took home awards in:

• Reserve Grand Champion (2nd place) in Cottage Bacon;

• Reserve Champion (3rd) in Wieners-Frankfurters;

• Reserve Champion in Bacon;

• Champion (4th) in Smoked Turkey.

In 2024, Elma Locker equally had four awards, but were named Grand Champions in both Smoked Turkey and Large Muscle Jerky. They were Reserve Grand Champions in Meat Snack Sticks and Center Cut Smoked Pork Loin.  

To take home top honors in Smoked Turkey for two years straight, shows the establishment  is making a “very good” product at a consistent level.  Also, earning a Reserve Champion plaque in Bacon is “very difficult” to get, as that’s a category where most everyone enters and one of those items every customer likes to purchase. To get two honors in bacon, that’s truly where they can “make some bacon!” plus have other Lockers take notice!

“Bacon is a big category and something every locker wants to win,” said T.J. Granahan, who co-owns the Elma Locker facility with his wife, Amanda. “It does take a little luck to win these awards, plus trial and error and some common sense (taking what you learned from a year ago).”

For bacon, Granahan pointed out that you want a nice, square belly onces smoked, all at the same thickness with a nice lean, ratio of  fat to meat.

“The problem with these competitions is you don’t really know how well your product turned out until they cut it,” said Granahan. “You really have to eye out a nice slab and pick out one that you believe the judges are going to like.”

He stated that they never change any of the recipes for this event, and what they provide to the judges is exactly what their customers get and what they sell all time.

“Roger always told me to just be happy if you win only one award!” added Granahan, who misses his father-in-law, who passed away at the age of 62 a few years back. “To win four awards reassures our customers and the judges that we’re putting out a good, consistent  product and that it’s some of the best in the business.”

Winning Smoked Turkey for two years straight was another feat Granahan was truly proud of.