Where do you find some of the freshest seafood in Iowa? It’s elementary, my dear.

“We raise shrimp in my former kindergarten room and lunch room,” said Jeff Ryan, who runs Sherlock Shrimp with his wife, Sherill, at the Ridgeway elementary school he attended almost 40 years ago. “The building brings back a lot of memories for people who grew up in this area.”

Now Sherlock Shrimp is creating new memories for customers seeking a unique taste of Iowa. Some come to Ridgeway, population 30, to buy live Pacific white shrimp year-round at the school. Others stop by destinations like La Rana Bistro to enjoy Sherlock Shrimp in a variety of menu items and...