MACON, Ga. – Winners of the Meats Evaluation Career Development Event (CDE) were recognized at the 98th Georgia FFA State Convention held at the Macon Centreplex on April 22-25, 2026.

In the senior division, Boston Jefson of Perry was the state high scoring individual, followed by Nelson Smith of Perry and Katelyn Moore of Veterans finishing second and third, respectively. In the team competition, the state winner was Perry, followed by Veterans in second place and Scereven in third.

In the junior division, Rollins Neal of Perry was the state high individual, followed by Raegan Denton of Perry and Ty Winter of Oconee Middle finishing second and third, respectively. In the team competition, the state winner was Perry, followed by Oconee Middle in second place and Perry Middle in third.

CDE and LDE awards are granted to FFA members and teams who have exhibited premier leadership, personal growth, and career success in a variety of competitions. The Meats Evaluation CDE is designed to develop employment skills in the meat industry, expand students’ knowledge of meat animal marketing and merchandising, and develop an understanding of appropriate meat terminology.   

The Meats Evaluation Career Development Event was sponsored at the state level by Nine Twenty Company.

All individual and team winners received a plaque and a cash award. Individual winners received $100. Second place individuals received $50 and third place individuals received $25. The winning team was awarded $2,000 travel money to attend the National FFA Convention. Additionally, the advisor of the state winning team received a $100 cash award. 

The National FFA Organization, formerly known as the Future Farmers of America, changed its name in 1988 to reflect the growth and diversity of agriculture. There are over 1 million FFA members nationwide. The Georgia Association has more than 80,000 members, making it the third largest Association in the nation. The FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success, through agricultural education. 

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